Sam Merrill made 42.1 percent of 7.2 threes a night last season with a 64.4 true shooting mark, and he costs $9.2 million this year. A right elbow injury has his status at day-to-day, and his estimated return is October 22, the night of the opener in Philadelphia.
Will Merrill play Thursday in Philadelphia?
His right elbow has his status at day-to-day. His estimated return is October 22, which is opening night at the 76ers on ESPN. That is an estimate, not a promise. Khalifa Diop has the same tag and the same date. Nae'Qwan Tomlin is out with a back injury and an estimated return of November 16, so the forward depth is already thin before the ball goes up.
What exactly does he do for this offense?
He shoots, and the team asks him for little else. Last season he averaged 12.8 points in 26.5 minutes with a 16.7 percent usage rate. He hit 42.1 percent on 7.2 attempts from deep and 85.5 percent at the line. A 64.4 true shooting mark on that profile means defenders cannot leave him to help on Donovan Mitchell or James Harden drives. He also turned it over just 0.8 times a game.
Is his plus-minus real or a product of the stars around him?
The on-court numbers were strong: a 120.3 offensive rating, 112.6 defensive and net plus-7.7, better than the team's plus-4.1 overall. Read the lineups with care. The group of Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, Dean Wade, Merrill and Jaylon Tyson went plus-42.8, but that came in 55 minutes and Wade is no longer on this roster. His group with Harden, Mitchell and Evan Mobley was a modest plus-3.1.
What does he give up on the other end?
Size and disruption. He averaged 2.6 rebounds, 0.6 steals and 0.1 blocks, and his 4.7 rebound percentage shows he is not cleaning up misses. Defense was Cleveland's weaker half last season, at 114.1 points allowed per 100 possessions. Every Merrill lineup that got real minutes had Mobley or Allen at the rim, and that cover is what lets him stay on the floor.
Is $9.2 million the right price on a tax team?
Yes, easily. Cleveland's payroll sits at $209.0 million, over the $200.4 million luxury tax line, with Mitchell and Mobley at $50.1 million apiece. Merrill is owed $9.2 million this season, $9.8 million next and $10.5 million in 2028-29. A 42.1 percent shooter at that number is the kind of deal a capped-out team holds onto, not shops.
Is Sam Merrill playing in the Cavs' season opener?
His status is day-to-day with a right elbow injury, and his estimated return is October 22, the date of the opener at Philadelphia. Cleveland has not confirmed that he will play.
How much is Sam Merrill's contract with the Cavaliers?
He makes $9.2 million in 2026-27, $9.8 million in 2027-28 and $10.5 million in 2028-29.
