Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Cleared from injury report
Rotowire
Merrill (hamstring) is off the injury report for Game 1 on Saturday versus Toronto.
The Cavaliers held Merrill out of their final two outings of the regular season, but they've cleared him for the start of the playoffs. The sharpshooter started a career-high 38 games in 2025-26, ending the regular season with averages of 12.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 3.0 three-pointers while shooting 42.1 percent from deep in 26.5 minutes per contest over 52 games.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Won't go Sunday
Rotowire
Merrill (hamstring) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Wizards.
Merrill is one of nine Cavaliers players being listed as out for Sunday's regular-season finale, though he figures to return for the postseason. With the team set to be very shorthanded in the backcourt, Craig Porter, Tyrese Proctor and Max Strus should pick up the slack.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Won't play Friday
Rotowire
Merrill (hamstring) has been ruled out for Friday's game against Atlanta.
Merrill will be held out of Friday's contest due to left hamstring injury management. His final chance to suit up in the regular season will come Sunday against the Wizards. With Donovan Mitchell (ankle) also out, Keon Ellis, Craig Porter and Tyrese Proctor are candidates to see increased playing time.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Won't start Wednesday
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Merrill won't start Wednesday's game against the Hawks, Serena Winters of FanDuel Sports Network Ohio reports.
Merrill has started 15 of his last 16 outings but will retreat to the second unit against Atlanta. Over 13 appearances off the bench this season, the sharpshooter has averaged 9.5 points, 2.4 assists and 1.7 rebounds in 24.7 minutes per contest.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Drops 21 in Monday's win
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Merrill provided 21 points (7-16 FG, 4-11 3Pt, 3-4 FT), two rebounds, two assists and three steals over 28 minutes during Monday's 142-126 win over Memphis.
With James Harden (personal), Donovan Mitchell (ankle), Max Strus (rest) and Dean Wade (ankle) all unavailable, Merrill was back in the starting lineup and delivered his best scoring effort since Feb. 11, when he poured in 32 points against the Wizards. The 29-year-old wing has scored in double digits in eight of his last 10 appearances, averaging 13.8 points, 3.8 boards, 2.8 assists, 2.4 threes and 0.9 steals in 29.4 minutes over that span.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Stepping into starting five
Rotowire
Merrill will start Monday's game against the Grizzlies.
Merrill was deployed off the bench Thursday against Golden State and then sat out Sunday's clash against the Pacers due to a minor hamstring issue. However, he'll be inserted into the starting lineup Monday with James Harden (personal), Donovan Mitchell (ankle), Dean Wade (ankle) and Max Strus (foot) all sidelined. Merrill is averaging 14.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists in his last five appearances as a starter.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Good to go Monday
Rotowire
Merrill (hamstring) will play Monday against Memphis.
Merrill will be back in action after sitting out the front end of this back-to-back set Sunday. With James Harden (personal) and Donovan Mitchell (ankle) out, Merrill is in line to see plenty of touches Monday.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Won't suit up Sunday
Rotowire
Merrill (hamstring) is listed as out for Sunday's game against Indiana.
Merrill has been dealing with a left hamstring injury of late. Although he managed to suit up for Thursday's 118-111 win over the Warriors, he will take the night off versus Indiana before likely returning Monday in Memphis. Without Merrill in the rotation, Keon Ellis should see more work from off the bench.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Pours in 19 points Tuesday
Rotowire
Merrill finished with 19 points (6-11 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 5-6 FT), four rebounds, one assist and two steals in 33 minutes during Tuesday's 136-131 win over Orlando.
Merrill scored at least 13 points for the fifth straight game, during which time he has been a top-50 player in standard fantasy formats, averaging 15.4 points and 2.6 three-pointers, shooting 51.9 percent from the field and 83.3 percent from the line. However, his overall appeal remains relatively limited, making him more of a streaming option than a must-roster player.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Plays well in win
Rotowire
Merrill closed Thursday's 115-110 victory over the Bulls with 13 points (5-12 FG, 3-8 3Pt), one rebound, three assists, two blocks and one steal across 31 minutes.
The sharpshooter put together a solid showing in the absence of Donovan Mitchell (eye). Merrill has been a little underwhelming of late, posting averages of 10.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.8 three-pointers in 27.8 minutes per contest while shooting just 27.3 percent from downtown over his last five outings.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Efficient shooting performance
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Merrill notched 17 points (6-12 FG, 3-8 3Pt, 2-2 FT), six rebounds and two assists in 28 minutes during Tuesday's 123-116 win over the Bucks.
Merrill is expected to have a secondary role on offense in most games, but he was remarkably efficient in this win and was one of four Cleveland players who scored at least 17 points. Merrill was making his return from a two-game absence due to a hamstring injury, but since Jarrett Allen (knee) remains sidelined, Merrill has kept his place in the starting unit. The six-year veteran has started in each of his last eight appearances while averaging 11.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game while shooting 33.9 percent from deep.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Could return Tuesday
Rotowire
Merrill (hamstring) is questionable for Tuesday's game against the Bucks, Danny Cunningham of Sports Radio 92.3 The Fan Cleveland reports.
Merrill is in danger of missing a third consecutive matchup while battling left hamstring soreness. However, the fact that he's been upgraded to questionable is a sign he may be nearing a return. Expect another update from the Cavs closer to tipoff.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Not playing Sunday
Rotowire
Merrill (hamstring) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Mavericks.
Merrill is slated to miss a second consecutive game while recovering from a left hamstring injury, and his next chance to play is Tuesday against the Bucks. Merrill's absence means more minutes will be available for Keon Ellis and Jaylon Tyson (ankle), though some of that playing time will be absorbed by Max Strus (foot), who is trending toward making his 2025-26 regular-season debut Sunday.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Ruled out Friday
Rotowire
Merrill (hamstring) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Mavericks, Danny Cunningham of Sports Radio 92.3 The Fan Cleveland reports.
Merrill was a late addition to the injury report Friday due to left hamstring tightness and will miss his first game since Jan. 26. With the sharpshooter sidelined, Jaylon Tyson, Keon Ellis and Craig Porter are candidates to see an uptick in minutes. Merrill's next chance to play will come Sunday against Dallas.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Questionable for Friday
Rotowire
Merrill is questionable for Friday's game against Dallas with left hamstring tightness.
Merill was a late addition to the injury report for this contest. He's been playing heavy minutes lately, including 30 against the Magic on Wednesday. If Merrill is unable to play, Keon Ellis and Jaylon Tyson could be more involved for the Cavaliers.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Back in starting five
Rotowire
Merrill is in the Cavaliers' starting lineup against the Bucks on Wednesday.
The Cavaliers are missing Donovan Mitchell (groin), James Harden (thumb) and Evan Mobley (calf) for Wednesday's game, so Merrill will enter the starting lineup alongside Dennis Schroder, Jaylon Tyson, Dean Wade and Jarrett Allen. It'll be Merrill's 24th start of the season and ninth in 12 games for Cleveland. His last start took place Friday in a 118-113 win over the Hornets, when he logged 10 points, two rebounds and two assists over 24 minutes.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Scoreless in 21 minutes
Rotowire
Merrill closed with zero points (0-4 FG, 0-4 3Pt), one rebound and one assist over 21 minutes during Tuesday's 109-94 win over the Knicks.
This was a major dud for Merrill, especially considering he was coming off a 20-point outburst against the Thunder on Sunday. Fantasy managers may want to give him another chance, as he's been a ninth-round value in nine-category formats over his last five games with 13.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 3.6 three-pointers in 24.2 minutes per contest.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Strikes for 20 from second unit
Rotowire
Merrill had 20 points (7-12 FG, 6-10 3Pt) and three rebounds in 28 minutes off the bench during Sunday's 121-113 loss to the Thunder.
With Evan Mobley back in the lineup, Merrill shifted to the second unit after starting six of the first seven games in February. The 29-year-old wing saw his usual workload off the bench, however, and on the month Merrill is averaging 13.6 points, 3.8 threes, 2.4 boards and 1.6 assists in 24.8 minutes.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Headed to bench
Rotowire
Merrill will come off the bench for Sunday's game in Oklahoma City.
Evan Mobley is back and starting, so Merrill will return to a reserve role. As a member of the second unit this season, Merrill has posted averages of 10.1 points, 2.5 assists and 2.6 triples per contest.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Muted impact in return
Rotowire
Merrill (hand) closed Wednesday's 129-99 victory over the Lakers with four points (1-4 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 1-2 FT), four assists, one rebound and one block across 24 minutes.
Merrill returned from a six-game absence due to a right hand sprain and immediately stepped into the starting five while Cleveland was without Darius Garland (toe) and Evan Mobley (calf). The sixth-year wing had a limited impact in his return, however, putting up a season-low four shot attempts while failing to score in double figures for the sixth time in 25 appearances on the season. On a more positive note, the sharpshooter's four assists were his most since Dec. 23, when he dished out seven in a win over New Orleans.
