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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Questionable for Wednesday
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Merrill is questionable for Wednesday's game against the Heat due to an illness.
Merrill was a late addition to the injury report and is in danger of missing the first leg of a back-to-back set. If Merrill is unable to play, Georges Niang and Max Strus could be relied on a bit more for their floor spacing.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Ruled out against Miami
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Merrill (illness) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Heat.
Merrill will miss Wednesday's game for the Cavaliers as he battles an illness. The 28-year-old has missed only seven games for Cleveland this season, and in his absence in Miami, Georges Niang and Max Strus could see a boost in minutes.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Scores 10 points
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Merrill notched 10 points (3-9 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 2-2 FT), two rebounds, one assist and two steals across 22 minutes during Monday's 118-92 win over Phoenix.
Caris LeVert (wrist), Isaac Okoro (shoulder) and Evan Mobley (calf) were all sidelined Monday, allowing Merrill to step into a larger role. Despite a strong showing Monday, fantasy managers shouldn't overreact just yet. Merrill is hitting 37.3 percent from the field this season with averages of 6.6 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.7 three-pointers.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Comes up empty from distance
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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.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Available vs. Toronto
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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.
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