The Cleveland Cavaliers might be getting a key piece of their rotation back just in time for Monday night’s matchup with the Orlando Magic. Sharpshooter Sam Merrill, who’s missed the last five games with a right-hand sprain, is officially listed as questionable-and that’s a quietly significant development for a Cavs team still navigating through some injury turbulence.
Merrill’s hand issues have lingered since November, when he first suffered the sprain in a win over the Milwaukee Bucks. That initial injury sidelined him for over a month, and even when he returned, he wasn’t exactly operating at full strength.
Head coach Kenny Atkinson made it clear at the time-Merrill was still in enough pain that he couldn’t even shake hands postgame. That tells you a lot about the kind of discomfort he was pushing through just to stay on the floor.
Then came another setback. Merrill re-aggravated the hand in Cleveland’s January 14 win over the 76ers-a game that also saw Darius Garland go down with a separate injury, this time a sprain to his right big toe.
Garland’s situation is still in a holding pattern. The team said last Sunday he’d be reevaluated in 7 to 10 days, so we’re right in that window now.
No new updates yet, but we’re getting close to decision time.
In the meantime, Merrill’s potential return could give the Cavs a much-needed lift. He’s not just a bench guy filling minutes-he’s been one of the team’s most impactful players in terms of on/off differential.
When he’s on the floor, the Cavs are +4.7 points per 100 possessions, which puts him in the 75th percentile league-wide. That’s not a fluke.
Cleveland is 16-8 in games Merrill has played this season, and it’s easy to see why.
He’s been lights out shooting the ball, averaging 13.8 points per game on eye-popping efficiency-47% from the field, 45.5% from deep, and nearly 88% from the line. That kind of floor spacing and scoring punch off the bench is a luxury most teams don’t have, and it’s something Cleveland has sorely missed during his absence.
As for the Magic, they’ll still be without their leading scorer, Franz Wagner, who remains sidelined with an ankle injury. That levels the playing field a bit, especially if Merrill is able to suit up and provide some instant offense.
The Cavs won’t be at full strength on Monday, but getting Merrill back-even in limited minutes-could be a quiet turning point as they try to keep pace in a crowded Eastern Conference.