The Cleveland Cavaliers are set to be without forward Max Strus for an extended period of time to start the coming season. The 29-year-old is expected to be sidelined for three to four months after he underwent surgery to repair a Jones fracture in his left foot.
Strus was on track to play a large role in his third season with the Cavaliers before he went down with his injury. According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, he was in line to be a member of the team’s starting lineup, and he’s started all but 13 of the 120 regular-season games he’s appeared in with the Cavs.
Now, the question on the minds of plenty of Cavaliers fans is who is best suited to fill in for Strus in the starting five before he makes his return to the lineup? Players such as forward Dean Wade, forward De’Andre Hunter and guard Jaylon Tyson should receive consideration, but guard Sam Merrill stands out as someone who could thrive in Strus’ starting role. Let’s break down three reasons why.
He has the shooting prowess to play Strus’ role on offense
Maybe Strus’ trademark skill he brings to the Cavaliers is his 3-point shooting chops. He’s a career 36.8 percent shooter, and he ranked third on the Cavs behind only guards Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland in made 3s per game last season.
Fortunately for the Cavaliers, though, Merrill also just so happens to be a highly effective 3-point shooter, and he could be an opportunity for a larger role away from cementing himself as the team’s preeminent threat on the perimeter. After all, in a bench role with the Cavaliers over the last two seasons, Merrill has buried 38.8 percent of his 3s on 5.5 tries per contest.
Plus, in his five starts with the Cavaliers during that two-season span, he was a highly effective offensive weapon with the rate at which he buried his 3s. Merrill converted 3.8 3s per contest in that small sample size and hit his 3-pointers at an otherworldly 55.9 percent clip.
Putting Merrill in the opening lineup in the place of Strus would help to ensure that the Cavaliers don’t take a major step back as a 3-point shooting team in the latter’s absence. Remember, it’s the 3-point shot that was key to the Cavaliers having one of the best offensive attacks in the NBA last season.
He is an ideal fit next to Garland and Mitchell
Garland and Mitchell are the engines that make the Cavaliers’ offense go, and assessing a player’s fit next to the two guards should be among the most important factors when considering Strus’ replacement in the starting lineup. Merrill just so happens to be a hand-in-glove fit next to the two ball-dominant guards.
Mitchell and Garland are at their best on the offensive end when they have the ball in their hands and are looking to make plays for themselves or their teammates, but Merrill makes his hay on that end of the floor playing away from the ball. All but two of Merrill’s 150 made 3s in the 2024-25 regular season came off of assists.
Because Merrill doesn’t need the ball in his hands to be an effective scorer, he stands out as a perfect fit next to Garland and Mitchell in the opening lineup. He will open up driving lanes for the two with his ability to space the floor and also won’t keep the ball out of their hands a noticeable amount with his off-ball modus operandi.
He would keep Hunter’s scoring punch with the second unit
Of all the contenders to take Strus’ place in the opening lineup, Hunter is easily the most accomplished player. He’s been in the league for six seasons and averaged 17.0 points per game across 64 contests with the Cavs and Atlanta Hawks last season.
However, that doesn’t mean it would be in the Cavaliers’ best interest to start him for the injured Strus instead of Merrill. Hunter played only 27 games in Cleveland a season ago, but he was a big reason why the Cavaliers had such an effective bench unit.
Hunter provided the Cavaliers with strong two-way play off the pine and was a talented scorer for a reserve unit that wasn’t replete with guys who could create their own shot. If the Cavaliers want to continue to roll out one of the most effective reserve units in the NBA, it might be pivotal to keep Hunter in a bench role.
Inserting Merrill in the starting five would do just that. It would allow Hunter to continue to spearhead the second unit from a scoring standpoint.