The Cleveland Cavaliers and Sam Merrill have agreed to a four-year, $38 million contract. Merrill was set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
Earlier in the day on Saturday, the Cavs traded for Lonzo Ball in a deal with the Chicago Bulls. The combination of re-signing Merrill and trading for Ball signals that Ty Jerome is unlikely to be back in Cleveland next season.
Merrill played in 71 games for the Cavaliers last season. He averaged 7.2 points as a shooting specialist off Cleveland’s bench. Merrill shot 37.2% on 5.2 three-point attempts per game.
The deal averaging $9.5 million per season is a significant windfall for Merrill. Prior to landing this contract, the 29-year-old guard has played on minimum contracts while in the NBA.