LAS VEGAS — As an unrestricted free agent, set to receive the most lucrative contract of his career following two consecutive breakthrough seasons for the championship contending Cavs, reserve sharpshooter Sam Merrill and his trusted agents created a list.
He was aware of the marketplace. There was outside interest. A few other options that, at least, led to conversations. At 29 years old, given all the adversity during his professional journey, Merrill owed it to himself to consider every option.
But one place always topped that list.
Cleveland.
“This is where we wanted to be,” Merrill told cleveland.com during a one-on-one interview at halftime of the Cavs’ Summer League game that he attended alongside Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley. “I’m super excited. Cleveland is a great city and it’s a first-class organization. They took a chance on me, so I have a ton of gratitude. It was going to take something pretty significant for us to consider leaving. I’m so glad we were able to work something out with the Cavs.”
Nearly three years ago, Merrill was at a crossroads.
Waived by Sacramento — the team’s final cut — Merrill considered leaving the NBA. He was 26 years old. He didn’t want to play in the G League. He wanted to make money. Support his soon-to-be growing family.
So, he talked with his agents and made a decision.
A few days later, he joined the Cleveland Charge training camp roster as the No. 1 overall pick in the G League Draft. It seemed like an inconsequential move for the Cavs — a mere footnote in a transformative offseason headlined by Donovan Mitchell’s arrival from Utah, the blockbuster trade that officially ended the franchise rebuild and heightened expectations.
Merrill, who battled a troublesome ankle injury earlier in his career that likely played part in getting cut multiple times, spent the first five months of the 2022-23 season proving that he was healthy and reminding why he was once a second-round pick viewed as a potential NBA player.
Then came his big break — a 10-day contract quickly parlayed into a multi-year, semi-guaranteed deal.
After brief stints in Milwaukee and Memphis, he finally had an NBA home.
And thanks to the four-year, $38 million contract he signed a week ago, it’s become a permanent one.
“Been a grind for sure,” Merrill admitted Saturday. “Been waived a couple times. Been traded. Had a pretty severe injury that I had to battle through, so to be in a spot where we hopefully will be for a few years and playing for a team with high goals and aspirations, it’s exactly what we wanted.
“I always felt like I was good enough and there were a lot of people around me that felt like I was good enough. They believed in me. They never lost faith. After I got cut by Sacramento, they never wavered. It was like, ‘Hey, we might have to go play a little G League but you’re good enough, you belong at this level.’”
So, is this contract validation?
“I don’t know,” he said in response to that question. “I’ve played quite a bit the last couple years and I feel like that is the validation.
“This is the first time in my career where I know my next season is guaranteed. Even going into last year, I knew it was going to be, but technically it wasn’t guaranteed. That’s obviously nice.”
Over the last two years, Merrill has become a rotational fixture and critical piece of Cleveland’s second unit.
In his first season under coach Kenny Atkinson, the 6-foot-4 Merrill averaged 7.2 points on 40.6% from the field and 37.2% from 3-point range in a career-high 19.7 minutes.
His 137 made triples were the third-most on the team and tied for 12th in the league among reserves. He ranked third in the NBA in plus-minus off the bench (plus-330) — statistical evidence of his impact. He also appeared in eight of the nine playoff games, only missing the series finale against Indiana because of a neck injury.
Atkinson has been one of Merrill’s greatest advocates. Same goes for Mitchell, who used to play pickup games with Merrill at Utah State.
“I called him immediately after he signed,” Mitchell told cleveland.com. “I was happy for him. He deserves it. To see the evolution into what he has become, it’s big time. He has been through so much and to see him continue to take the steps and be rewarded for all that hard work, it’s special.
“I know he is Mormon and doesn’t drink but this is the time he needs to take a shot or something to celebrate.”
Given Cleveland’s bloated salary cap situation and the looming second apron, which comes with stiff team-building limitations, there were questions about whether the Cavs could afford Merrill. Even Mitchell wondered.
“You want to play with a guy like Sam Merrill, but I knew he was a free agent and if it meant losing him because he was going to get paid for what he has done and become then you always have to understand that comes with it,” Mitchell said. “You just want to see him succeed. To see him not only get paid and succeed but to stay here with us, that’s special.”
Merrill’s spacing bends defenses. His perpetual movement and gravity pull opponents away from Mitchell, Mobley and Darius Garland, creating room for Cleveland’s stars to attack. His shooting is a weapon. He doesn’t dominate possessions.
It all makes Merrill an ideal fit in Atkinson’s up-tempo, movement-heavy offense.
With a solidified role and a new deal, Merrill can finally exhale.
Briefly.
“I know there is more to my game than just shooting 3s,” Merrill said. “I’m already 29 years old and I’m not going to drastically change who I am. But I know there is more there. I didn’t quite have the shooting season I wanted to last season. At least, December and January, when I had to work through some things physically. I was pretty good after that. But it’s about back getting to the level I know I can be at as a shooter. And then, just getting little pieces of my game back.”
Merrill has had multiple conversations with team decision-makers about his role. Atkinson vowed to give him more freedom within the offense – driving closeouts, scoring at the rim, making decisions as a ballhandler.
“It’s not like I’ve never scored inside the 3-point line in my life,” Merrill said with a laugh. “I mean, I know it’s something I can do, so it’s just getting that feel back. It’s about making the right play. That’s what basketball is about. That’s what our team is about. I feel like these last couple years, even when I’ve been mostly shooting 3s, I still try to make the right play and provide value that way. That’s the No. 1 goal.”
Merrill also wants to keep proving that he isn’t a defensive liability — despite a harsh pre-existing reputation.
“I want to set the tone defensively with pressure,” Merrill explained. “I did some last year with picking up full court. I’m not going to take the ball from anybody but try to get teams out of rhythm and force them to take time off the shot clock, that’s what I want to continue to do. Just trying to implement that as much as I can so I can try to be better for this team.”
When Merrill’s journey began years ago, he didn’t know where it would end up. He certainly never envisioned _this_ — an essential piece of a title contender.
It took patience, perseverance and faith.
That’s been rewarded.
“This is a job. Obviously, every player is trying to provide for their family. Now I can 100 percent focus on trying to win a championship with this team, without those other things having to be in the back of my mind,” Merrill said. “This is where we are. We know we are going to be here.
“It’s such a blessing.”
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our [User Agreement](https://www.advancelocal.com/advancelocalUserAgreement/user-agreement.html) and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our [Privacy Policy.](https://www.advancelocal.com/advancelocalUserAgreement/privacy-policy.html)