Cleveland Cavaliers sharpshooter Sam Merrill has missed the team’s last six games with a hand injury, and he’s been ruled out for the team’s game against the Indiana Pacers on Monday night.
Along with the expected #Cavs who were already out tonight here in Indiana — Larry Nance Jr., Max Strus, Jarrett Allen and Sam Merrill — the team will also be without Darius Garland (toe injury management) and Lonzo Ball (illness).
— Chris Fedor (@ChrisFedor) December 1, 2025
After one social media user questioned Merrill’s toughness, wondering why he hasn’t returned to action yet, Cavs insider Chris Fedor came to the defense of the 2020 second-round pick.
If you saw the bruising and swelling on his hand a few days after the injury happened, you wouldn’t be wondering this. It was NASTY. https://t.co/5QjJo31Jse
— Chris Fedor (@ChrisFedor) December 1, 2025
Clearly, Merrill is dealing with a pretty legit injury, so it makes sense that he’s still sitting for the Cavs as they navigate a rough patch in their season. Cleveland has lost three games in a row and is just 12-9 through 21 games.
Merrill has played in 12 of the Cavs’ games this season, starting eight of them. He was off to a fast start before going down, averaging 13.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from 3.
An elite 3-point shooter, Merrill is one of the wing players that the Cavs can use in place of the injured Max Strus, who has yet to make his season debut due to a foot injury.
In 71 games in the 2024-25 season, Merrill averaged 7.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 40.6 percent from the field and 37.2 percent from beyond the arc. He attempted 6.0 shots per game, and 5.2 of them came from 3-point range.
That led to the Cavs rewarding him with a four-year, $38 million contract in the offseason. After beginning his NBA career with seasons in Milwaukee and Memphis, Merrill has found a home with the Cavs, and his role has expanded each year.
While some Cavs fans are frustrated that the sharpshooter is out, it’s more important that he gets fully healthy to help Cleveland in the stretch run of the regular season. The Cavs are still contenders in a wide open Eastern Conference, and they’d love to have all of their key rotation players healthy for a playoff run.
Merrill’s next chance to return to the lineup will be on Wednesday when Cleveland hosts the Portland Trail Blazers.