Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Comes up empty from distance
Rotowire
Merrill (ankle) finished with two points (1-4 FG, 0-2 3Pt) across 13 minutes in Thursday's 132-126 win over the Raptors.
Cleveland held out star guard Donovan Mitchell for rest purposes in the second leg of a back-to-back set, but the return of Merrill from a three-game absence due to a right ankle sprain helped restore some depth in the backcourt. The Cavaliers didn't turn to Merrill to absorb most of Mitchell's vacated playing time, as Caris LeVert (36 minutes) and Ty Jerome (20 minutes) were instead bigger beneficiaries. Assuming Mitchell is back in action for Sunday's game against the Pacers, minutes will likely be more difficult to come by for Cleveland's reserve guards and wings, and Merrill could even find himself outside of head coach Kenny Atkinson's rotation.
... See More... See Less
Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Available vs. Toronto
Rotowire
Merrill (ankle) is available for Thursday's game against the Raptors, Chris Fedor of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Merrill didn't play in Wednesday's win over the Thunder, but he's healthy enough to suit up in the second leg of this back-to-back set. Merrill will play for the first time since Dec. 31, when he logged eight minutes off the bench in a win over the Mavericks.
... See More... See Less
Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Iffy for Thursday
Rotowire
Merrill (ankle) is listed as questionable for Thursday's game versus the Raptors.
Merrill is in danger of missing his fourth straight contest Thursday due to a right ankle sprain. With Donovan Mitchell (rest) already ruled out against Toronto, Max Strus and Caris LeVert could receive increased playing time.
... See More... See Less
Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Ruled out Wednesday
Rotowire
Merrill (ankle) is out for Wednesday's game against the Thunder, Tom Withers of the Associated Press reports.
Merrill was initially listed as questionable, but the former Utah State standout will miss a third straight game with a nagging ankle problem. His next chance to suit up will come Thursday against Toronto in the second leg of this back-to-back set.
... See More... See Less
Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Questionable for Wednesday
Rotowire
Merrill (ankle) is questionable for Wednesday's game against the Thunder, Spencer Davies of SI.com reports.
Merrill and Isaac Okoro (shoulder) both went through a full practice Tuesday which included contact. Merrill has missed the past two games for Cleveland, but if his ankle responds well in the morning, he could potentially be available to return against the Thunder.
... See More... See Less
Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Not playing Sunday vs. Hornets
Rotowire
Merrill (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against Charlotte, Tom Withers of the Associated Press reports.
Merrill will miss a second consecutive game due to an ankle injury he suffered against the Lakers this past Tuesday. His next chance to play will be Wednesday against the Thunder. Caris LeVert, Ty Jerome and Max Strus will continue to see an increase in playing time off the bench for as long as Merrill remains sidelined.
... See More... See Less
Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Questionable vs. Hornets
Rotowire
Merrill (ankle) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Hornets.
Merrill didn't play in the win over the Mavericks on Friday. Even though the questionable tag suggests there is a chance he suits up, a decision will likely be made closer to Sunday's 6 p.m. ET tipoff.
... See More... See Less
Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Ruled out against Dallas
Rotowire
Merrill (ankle) has officially been ruled out for Friday's game against the Mavericks, Chris Fedor of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
After playing only eight minutes in the win over the Lakers on Tuesday due to a right ankle sprain, Merrill will not be able to play on Friday in Dallas. Cleveland will likely turn to Max Strus and Caris LeVert to pick up the slack with Merrill on the mend.
... See More... See Less
Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Doubtful for Friday
Rotowire
Merrill (ankle) is doubtful for Friday's game against the Mavericks.
Merrill has an outside chance to play Friday, but the doubtful tag suggests that's an unlikely scenario. In the event that Merrill doesn't suit up, Caris LeVert and Max Strus should see more minutes off the bench.
... See More... See Less
Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Sprains ankle Tuesday
Rotowire
Merrill is questionable to return to Tuesday's game against the Lakers due to a right ankle sprain, Spencer Davies of SI.com reports.
Merrill picked up an injury during the second quarter but continued to play through it until halftime. Caris LeVert and Max Strus could see more minutes if Merrill is unable to return. Merrill tallied zero points (0-1 FG, 0-1 3Pt) and one assist in eight minutes prior to checking out of the game.
... See More... See Less
Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Reverting to bench Friday
Rotowire
Merrill is not in the Cavaliers' starting lineup for Friday's contest against the Nuggets.
Merrill made his second start of the regular season this past Monday against the Jazz and finished with 20 points (18 of which came from beyond the arc), four assists, one rebound and three steals over 24 minutes. Merrill will return to the bench for Friday's contest due to Dean Wade (knee) returning from a one-game absence.
... See More... See Less
Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Hits six triples in start
Rotowire
Merrill chipped in 20 points (6-12 FG, 6-11 3Pt, 2-2 FT), one rebound, four assists and three steals over 24 minutes during Monday's 124-113 win over the Jazz.
Merrill started for just the second time this season, scoring a season-high 20 points. Despite being a regular in the rotation, Merrill's playing time has fluctuated from one game to the next. Prior to Monday, he had scored a total of 21 points across the previous four games. At best, he should continue to serve as a viable perimeter threat off the bench, assuming the Cavaliers stay relatively healthy.
... See More... See Less
Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Starting Monday
Rotowire
Merrill is in the Cavaliers' starting lineup for Monday's game against the Jazz, Serena Winters of FanDuel Sports Network Ohio reports.
Merrill was initially listed as questionable for Monday's game due to a left quad contusion. Not only will he play, but he will make his second start of the 2024-25 regular season due to Dean Wade (knee) being ruled out. Merrill's first start was against the Celtics on Nov. 19, when he finished with six points, one rebound, one assist and one steal across 19 minutes.
... See More... See Less
Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Will play against Utah
Rotowire
Merrill (quadriceps) is available for Monday's game against the Jazz, Chris Fedor of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Merrill was listed as questionable for Monday's game after sustaining a left quad contusion in Saturday's contest against the 76ers. He went through morning shootaround and is evidently feeling good enough to play. In the 10 games prior to his injury, Merrill averaged 7.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists over 21.0 minutes per game.
... See More... See Less
Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Questionable to play against Jazz
Rotowire
Merrill (quadricep) is listed as questionable for Monday's game against Utah.
Merrill sustained a left quad contusion in Saturday's 126-99 win over the 76ers and was unable to return. The Cavaliers will presumably reassess Merrill's condition during their morning shootaround Monday before providing updates on his status leading up to the 7 p.m. ET tipoff. His potential absence Monday could help slightly raise the minutes floors of Caris LeVert, Ty Jerome, Georges Niang and Dean Wade.
... See More... See Less
Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Available, will suit up
Rotowire
Merrill (quadriceps) is available for Saturday's game against the 76ers.
Merrill was a game-time call for Saturday, but he'll be an option off the bench for Cleveland. He's averaging 7.1 points per game this season, so he's not expected to play a significant role in the second unit.
... See More... See Less
Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Added to injury report
Rotowire
Merrill is probable for Saturday's game against the 76ers due to a bruised left quadriceps, Evan Dammarell of DownEuclid.com reports.
Merrill logged 19 minutes off the bench Friday but evidently picked up a minor injury along the way. He'll be expected to gain clearance closer to tipoff.
... See More... See Less
Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Strong showing off bench
Rotowire
Merrill ended Tuesday's 118-87 victory over the Wizards with 14 points (5-10 FG, 4-9 3Pt), three rebounds, six assists, one block and two steals across 23 minutes off the bench.
The fifth-year guard set a new season high in assists with the performance, and Merrill's four made three tied Donovan Mitchell for the team lead on the night. Merrill has drained at least one trey in six straight appearances (one start), but his role on the second unit remains limited -- he's averaging just 7.2 points, 2.2 assists, 2.0 threes and 1.8 boards in 20.0 minutes a game over that stretch.
... See More... See Less
Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Will be active Sunday
Rotowire
Merrill (ankle) isn't listed on the Cavaliers injury report for Sunday's game against the Raptors.
Merrill missed the Cavs' most recent game with a left ankle injury but returned to practice Saturday and has been given the green light for Sunday's tilt. With Caris LeVert (knee) sidelined, Merrill could be in line for an increased role.
... See More... See Less
Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Paltry numbers in starting role
Rotowire
Merrill (ankle) recorded six points (2-3 FG, 2-3 3Pt), one assist, one rebound and one block across 19 minutes Tuesday in the Cavaliers' 120-117 loss to the Celtics.
The Cavaliers were without three rotation regulars Tuesday in Caris LeVert (knee), Dean Wade (ankle) and Isaac Okoro (ankle), paving the way for Merrill to make his first start of the season. Merrill -- who had missed the Cavaliers' previous three games with left ankle inflammation -- didn't notice a major spike in playing time as a result of his appointment to the top unit, and he sported the lowest usage rate (7.0 percent) of the team's starters. The Cavaliers could move Merrill back to the bench for Wednesday's matchup with the Pelicans if any of the three aforementioned injured players are able to return.
