The Cavs lock up a key part of their backcourt and wing rotation.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have reportedly signed guard Sam Merrill to a four-year, $38 million contract per ESPN’s Shams Charania. The 29-year-old Merrill evolved into an integral part of Cleveland’s rotation.
Free agent guard Sam Merrill intends to sign a four-year, $38 million contract to stay with the Cleveland Cavaliers, sources tell ESPN. The Cavs negotiated the new deal with Kieran Piller and Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports, a success story for the 60th pick in 2020 draft. pic.twitter.com/NUo8CKR9vH
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 28, 2025
Merrill logged a career-high 1,336 minutes last season, averaging 7.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game on 40.6% shooting. His 37.1% from long distance was a dip compared to 2023-2024, but Merrill became much more than just a sharpshooter. The Cavs had a +2.2 efficiency differential with Merrill on the floor versus off per Cleaning the Glass, almost a complete 180-degree turn from the year prior (-2.4).
Head coach Kenny Atkinson progressively relied more and more on Merrill to attack the passing lanes and space the floor. While his shooting never came back to what it was a year ago, the defensive capabilities were a nice boost. Merrill spent 23% of the time at shooting guard and the other 73% at small forward, per Cleaning the Glass, giving the Cavs a little more flexibility in the rotation. That figures to be the case next season as well.
The Cavs have come out of the gate this offseason, trading Isaac Okoro for Lonzo Ball and now signing Merrill to a new deal. With both of these backcourt-focused moves, the Cavs appear increasingly likely to be moving on from Sixth-Man of the Year candidate Ty Jerome. Ball is a true combo guard who can pass and play defense, while Merrill is a capable shooter and sneaky defender. Given the presumed asking price for Jerome, coupled with the Cavs’ financial situation, it appears the fan-favorite backup point guard is on his way out of town.
As an aside, this is a big contract for a former two-way player and the last pick of the 2020 NBA Draft. Credit to the Cavs’ front office for finding quality players (see: Craig Porter Jr.) and helping them to meet their potential.