Merrill (neck) has been ruled out for Tuesday's Game 5 against the Pacers, Chris Fedor of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Merrill was a late addition to the injury report and will miss Game 5 due to a neck strain. The 28-year-old had played in all eight of Cleveland's playoff games prior to this, making three starts and averaging 5.8 points on 37.5 percent shooting. Merrill's absence puts a greater emphasis on Ty Jerome, De'Andre Hunter and Isaac Okoro to produce off the bench.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Sliding back to bench Tuesday
Rotowire
Merrill won't start in Tuesday's Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Pacers, Serena Winters of FanDuel Sports Network Ohio reports.
Ty Jerome will receive the starting nod due to Darius Garland (toe) being sidelined, pushing Merrill to the bench. The 28-year-old shooting guard has made five appearances during the playoffs (three starts), averaging 5.4 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists across 19.8 minutes per game.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Lands three triples in spot start
Rotowire
Merrill recorded nine points (3-7 FG, 3-7 3Pt), one rebound, one assist and one steal in 19 minutes during Monday's 138-83 victory over the Heat in Game 4 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Merrill started for the second straight game, replacing Darius Garland, who was once again ruled out due to a toe injury. Although Merrill landed a trio of three-pointers, he was barely required as the Cavaliers embarrassed the Heat on their home court. The win wraps up the series for Cleveland, providing an opportunity to rest before facing either the Pacers or the Bucks in the next round.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Getting starting nod
Rotowire
Merrill is in the starting five for Saturday's Game 3 against the Heat.
Merrill will replace Darius Garland (toe) in the starting five Saturday. Merrill has averaged 13.8 points, 3.0 assists, 1.8 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 25.5 minutes across his previous four starting appearances this season.
Merrill, who missed Sunday's regular-season finale against the Pacers for rest, is expected to be ready for the start of the postseason Sunday.
Merrill ended the 2024-25 season with averages of 7.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game across 71 regular-season contests in 19.7 minutes per contest. He's expected to maintain a similar role during the postseason.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Resting in season finale
Rotowire
Merrill (rest) is out for Sunday's game against the Pacers.
Merrill received a maintenance day Friday, and he won't suit up Sunday, either. The sharpshooter doesn't have a regular starting role for the Cavaliers, but he should provide offense and three-point shooting off the bench ahead of the playoffs. Merrill ends the 2024-25 season with averages of 7.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game across 71 regular-season contests, a span in which he also made 37.2 percent of his attempts from three-point range.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Will rest Friday
Rotowire
Merrill (rest) will not play Friday against the Knicks.
Merrill will receive a maintenance day for the second leg of this back-to-back set. The Cavaliers could turn to Isaac Okoro to soak up some minutes on the wings in Merrill's absence.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Will start vs. Indiana
Rotowire
Merrill will be in the starting lineup for the Cavaliers on Thursday against the Pacers.
Merrill will be in the first unit for the fourth time this season. The Utah State product is averaging 13.3 points, 1.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 59.1 percent from the field and 60 percent from beyond the arc as a starter.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Retreating to bench Thursday
Rotowire
Merrill is not in the Cavaliers' starting lineup against the Spurs on Thursday, Serena Winters of FanDuel Sports Network Ohio reports.
Merrill made his third start of the season Tuesday against Portland and finished with 14 points (5-7 FG, 4-6 3Pt), three assists and two rebounds over 30 minutes. He'll revert to a reserve role Thursday due to the return of Donovan Mitchell (groin).
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Starting sans Mitchell
Rotowire
Merrill will start in Tuesday's game against the Trail Blazers.
The 28-year-old shooting guard will step into the starting lineup for just the third time on the season due to Donovan Mitchell (groin) being sidelined. Over his last five outings, Merrill has averaged 3.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.0 steals across 17.6 minutes per contest.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Hands out five assists
Rotowire
Merrill logged six points (2-9 FG, 2-9 3Pt), five rebounds, five assists, one block and one steal across 25 minutes during Sunday's 120-91 victory over the Jazz.
For the third time this season, Merrill recorded at least five dimes. Despite a decent line Sunday, Merrill's fantasy appeal remains limited to very deep formats. Over his last five outings, Merrill holds averages of 3.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.8 three-pointers.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Lands four triples in win
Rotowire
Merrill ended Friday's 118-117 win over the Hornets with 12 points (4-4 FG, 4-4 3Pt) and one rebound over 19 minutes.
Merrill was perfect from the perimeter, connecting on four triples en route to 12 points. A known sharpshooter, Merrill has now hit multiple three-pointers in three of the past four games. His skill set is limited to hitting the long ball, meaning his role is typically capped to no more than 20 minutes per game.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Ties season high with three steals
Rotowire
Merrill chipped in five points (2-4 FG, 1-3 3Pt), four rebounds, four assists and three steals over 17 minutes during Friday's 142-105 victory over the Knicks.
Merrill's three steals tied a team-high output with Evan Mobley on Friday, also matching a season high that was set during the Dec. 23 win over Utah. The 28-year-old sharpshooter logged his fewest minutes since the Jan. 25 loss to Houston, and his playing time could begin to dwindle while a deep Cavaliers rotation continues to get healthier. Over his last seven outings, Merrill has averaged 11.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 3.1 three-pointers in 24.4 minutes while shooting 45.8 percent from three-point land.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Balanced outing in return to lineup
Rotowire
Merrill closed with nine points (3-8 FG, 3-8 3Pt), six rebounds and two steals across 29 minutes during Monday's 128-107 victory over the Timberwolves.
Merrill returned Monday after missing Cleveland's previous contest due to personal reasons, putting forth a balanced outing while leading all bench players in rebounds and steals to go along with finishing one point short of the double-digit mark. Merrill matched a season-high mark in rebounds while posting his 16th outing with nine or more points.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Off injury report for Monday
Rotowire
Merrill (personal) is off the injury report for Monday's game against Minnesota.
Merrill is expected to return to game action after missing Friday's win over Washington due to personal reasons. Over his last five outings, the 28-year-old has averaged 11.4 points, 3.2 three-pointers, 2.4 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 24.2 minutes per contest.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Out for personal reasons
Rotowire
Merrill (personal) is out for Friday's game against the Wizards.
Merrill won't play Friday for personal reasons, and his next chance to suit up for the Cavaliers arrives Monday against Minnesota. Isaac Okoro (shoulder) is also out, and it's unclear if De'Andre Hunter will be able to join the team in time for Friday's action. With Caris LeVert having been traded, Max Strus and Ty Jerome could be needed to handle heavy minutes against Washington.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Season-best outing as top scorer
Rotowire
Merrill had 27 points (9-14 FG, 9-13 3Pt) and one rebound across 23 minutes during Sunday's 144-101 victory over the Mavericks.
Merrill shined offensively Sunday while coming off the Cleveland bench, leading all players in scoring and threes made while setting new season-high marks in both categories. Merrill previously held season highs of six threes made and 20 points, but he was red-hot in a blowout win to put together his best outing of the year.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Will play vs. Atlanta
Rotowire
Merrill (illness) is available for Thursday's game against the Hawks, Ethan Sands of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Merrill will return to the hardwood after missing the first leg of this back-to-back set Wednesday. He's played at least 17 minutes off the bench in his last five games, so he might see a decent amount of minutes in this game.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Iffy versus Atlanta
Rotowire
Merrill (illness) is listed as questionable for Thursday's game against the Hawks.
Merrill is in danger of missing his second straight contest Thursday due to an illness. If the 28-year-old guard is forced to sit out yet again, Craig Porter and Jaylon Tyson could continue to receive increased playing time.
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Player Bio
HT/WT: 6-4, 205 lbs
Birthplace: Salt Lake City, UT
Age: 29
School: Utah St.
Experience: 4
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