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: Struggles with shot
Rotowire
Merrill amassed five points (2-9 FG, 1-7 3Pt), five rebounds, four assists and one steal in 29 minutes during Sunday's 109-98 loss to the Celtics.
Merrill saw a healthy workload Sunday but could not make the most of his minutes with Jarrett Allen (knee) sidelined. Merrill remains a low-end fantasy asset with season averages of 12.9 points, 3.3 three-pointers, 2.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 25.9 minutes per contest.
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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
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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: Drills six three-pointers in win
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Merrill finished Sunday's 130-111 victory over the Trail Blazers with 22 points (7-9 FG, 6-8 3Pt, 2-2 FT), two rebounds and four assists across 29 minutes.
Merrill took care of business beyond the arc during the win, with the bulk of his shot attempts coming from the perimeter. Sunday marked Merrill's first decent performance since returning from a six-game absence, and the opportunity for decent production is apparent while Darius Garland (toe) is out. The recent acquisitions of Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis may have some impact on Merrill's involvement later in the season, but his role is steady for now.
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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.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Likely to play Wednesday
Rotowire
Merrill is probable for Wednesday's game against the Lakers with a sprained right hand.
Merrill had missed five consecutive contests due to the sprain before being ruled out for personal reasons ahead of Monday's win over Orlando. With Evan Mobley (calf) out of action, Merrill is an option to jump into the first unit. The sharpshooter has averaged 15.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 4.2 three-pointers in 25.4 minutes per tilt in his last six games.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Out for personal reasons
Rotowire
Merrill is out for Monday's game against the Magic for personal reasons.
The sharpshooter had missed five consecutive contests due to a right hand sprain, though it remains unclear if he's overcome the injury. With De'Andre Hunter (knee) questionable, Craig Porter and Dean Wade are candidates to soak up extra minutes Monday.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Not available Saturday
Rotowire
Merrill (hand) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Magic.
Merrill will miss a fifth consecutive game due to a right hand sprain, the same injury that caused him to miss nearly a month earlier in the season. His next chance to play is in Monday's rematch against Orlando.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Won't return vs. Kings
Rotowire
Merrill (hand) has been ruled out for Friday's game against Sacramento.
Merrill is in line for his fourth straight absence due to a right hand sprain. His next opportunity to return will arrive Saturday in Orlando.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Out for Wednesday
Rotowire
Merrill (hand) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game in Charlotte.
Merrill will miss his third consecutive game after recently aggravating a right hand sprain, and his minutes will continue to be divvied up amongst Jaylon Tyson, Lonzo Ball and Tyrese Proctor. His next chance to play will come Friday against the Kings.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Set to miss time with hand injury
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Head coach Kenny Atkinson said after Wednesday's 133-107 win over the 76ers that Merrill (hand) is "probably doubtful" for the Cavaliers' next game Friday in Philadelphia, Spencer Davies of ClutchPoints.com reports.
Merrill previously missed 14 straight games earlier this season due to a right hand sprain, and much like how he originally got hurt back on Nov. 17, he appeared to aggravate the injury Wednesday when he reached after the basketball on a defensive play late in the second quarter. Though Merrill was able to finish out the quarter, he was listed as questionable to return to the game following halftime and ultimately went unused in the second half, ending with three points (1-5 FG, 1-3 3Pt) and three rebounds in his 10 minutes of court time. Merrill will likely be sent in for further testing as the Cavaliers look to determine whether he sprained the hand again or is merely dealing with soreness.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Provides spark off bench
Rotowire
Merrill chipped in 22 points (7-13 FG, 5-11 3Pt, 3-3 FT), two rebounds, three assists and one steal across 31 minutes during Thursday's 131-122 loss to the Timberwolves.
Merrill reverted to a bench role Thursday after starting in each of the Cavaliers' prior two games, but he still gave his team a nice scoring punch and finished with the second-most points on Cleveland behind Donovan Mitchell (30). It was the fourth game in which Merrill scored 20-plus points in a game, and he tied a season high he has reached twice before. He has scored in double digits in seven of his last eight outings, and over that span he has averaged 15.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 4.0 threes and 0.9 steals over 27.3 minutes per game.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Drains six triples vs. Indiana
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Merrill provided 19 points (6-12 FG, 6-10 3Pt, 1-2 FT), four rebounds and two assists over 31 minutes during Tuesday's 120-116 victory over the Pacers.
Merrill tied a season high with six triples during Tuesday's win, and his plus-five point differential was the highest among the starters. He has started in each of Cleveland's last two games, but he would likely revert to a bench role against the Timberwolves on Thursday if Donovan Mitchell (rest) is cleared to return. Merrill should retain a strong role in the Cavaliers' rotation regardless of whether he starts or comes off the bench.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Entering starting five
Rotowire
Merrill is in the Cavaliers' starting lineup against the Pistons on Sunday.
Merrill was able to shrug off a left ankle injury to play Sunday, and he'll make his 12th start of the season due to the absence of Jarrett Allen (illness). As a starter this season, Merrill is averaging 15.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 3.7 threes and 0.8 steals over 26.0 minutes per game.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Available to play
Rotowire
Merrill (ankle) is available for Sunday's game against the Pistons, Spencer Davies of SI.com reports.
Merrill will return from a one-game absence, and he could see a slight uptick in minutes with Jarrett Allen (illness) unavailable. On the season, Merrill is averaging 13.2 points, 2.5 assists and 3.3 triples per contest.
