Sam Merrill’s right elbow soreness took him out of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ preseason finale Tuesday against the Orlando Magic, and with him went one of Cleveland’s clearest perimeter shooting options.
Merrill was ruled out before the game, and there was no timetable attached to his return or any update on whether he’ll be ready for the regular-season opener. Cleveland begins the season at Philadelphia on Oct. 22, leaving nine days between the end of the preseason and opening night, but that gap alone doesn’t say anything definitive about his status.
His absence also altered how the Cavaliers worked through their reserve backcourt. Craig Porter Jr. was the first backup guard to check in and entered as the eighth Cavalier off the bench, while Tyrese Proctor saw first-half minutes after sitting out the first half Sunday. Those minutes gave Cleveland another chance to sort through guard combinations, though they don’t tell us how Kenny Atkinson will divide the backcourt once Merrill is back in the mix.
For Porter and Proctor, Tuesday was another opportunity to show what they can do in live game settings. But the job description changes depending on who’s available.
Running the offense, defending another guard and creating shots for teammates are not the same as spacing the floor as a shooter. That matters here, because Merrill’s value is tied directly to what he brings away from the ball.
The Cavaliers have not said when the soreness started or pointed to a specific play that caused it. The pregame report simply listed Merrill as out and identified James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Peyton Watson, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen as Cleveland’s starters.
Merrill’s shooting ability is the reason his absence carries more weight than a typical preseason scratch. He scored 23 points and hit 5-of-8 from 3-point range against Detroit in Game 7 of the 2026 Eastern Conference semifinals. That’s the kind of perimeter production Cleveland is missing when he’s unavailable, even if Tuesday was only an exhibition.
Atkinson has already made clear what he wants from his rotation, saying in an Oct. 8 report from Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, “I’ve done 11, but 10 is most manageable. That’s the goal,” Atkinson said.
That gives the Cavs a basic framework, but it doesn’t lock in the final pecking order for the reserves. Tuesday’s game just gave Cleveland one more look at the options while Merrill sat out with elbow soreness.
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