Sam Merrill’s name belongs in the Sixth Man of the Year conversation, and not as a long shot.
Cleveland’s decision to keep Merrill and move on from Ty Jerome in the offseason already looks like one of the more important calls the team made. Merrill answered with a career year, improving his efficiency across the board and giving the Cavs the kind of steady two-way presence that shows up in the record more than the box score.
The clearest evidence is right there in the team’s results. Cleveland went 37-15 in the 52 regular-season games Merrill played.
In the games he missed, the Cavs were just .500. That split says plenty about how much he mattered whenever he was on the floor.
Merrill wasn’t just a spot-up shooter waiting in the corner. He was a connector, a constant mover and a guard who made life miserable for opposing offenses on the other end.
His shooting helped swing games. His defense as a small guard forced scorers away from their spots.
And his nonstop movement wore defenders down possession after possession.
Even when he was banged up, Merrill kept delivering. The Utah State product dealt with injuries to his shooting hand, but still put together the kind of season that made Cleveland’s offseason decision look justified. In Game 7 against the Pistons, he took a hard elbow from Ausar Thompson on a charge, one of the moments that stood out in the series.
That physical edge has become part of his value. Merrill is one of the better charge-takers in the league, and his small frame hasn’t kept him from stepping into contact.
Those plays don’t just fill highlight reels. They turn into wins.
His role is also set up to look different this time around. In 2024-25, Merrill came off the bench only 14 times and started 38, a reflection of how often Darius Garland’s injury issues and other absences forced Cleveland to shuffle its lineup. This season, he projects to be a more stable reserve, which should put him squarely in the mix for Sixth Man of the Year alongside Ty Jerome.
Jerome had his own strong run for Cleveland two years ago, producing 18-20 minutes a night for a 64-18 team and still coming up short in the award race. Jaylon Tyson had a real case last year too, but the field was crowded. Merrill has a real chance to push through if he keeps doing what he did last season.
The path is pretty clear. If Cleveland is again a top-three team in the East, Merrill will need to stay efficient and land somewhere around 12-15 points per game. If he does that while the rest of the rotation stays steady, he’ll have a strong case.
With Peyton Watson now locking down the starting five and giving the team another floor-spacer, Cleveland can run more sets to get Merrill clean looks from deep. If that happens, the Sixth Man of the Year race could end up with Merrill right in the middle of it.
In Other News...
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Former Cavs First Rounder Suddenly Has A New Spotlight
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Cavs Fans Just Learned The Catch In Next Seasons TV Plan
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There is a catch, though, and it matters. Of the 82 regular-season games, 17 nationally televised matchups will not be on DAZN, while 15 games will be available free through an over-the-air partner, leaving at least 50 games exclusive to the platform. DAZN says it will offer several subscription plans at different prices and will also carry select regional sports programming for free, so the next question for Cavs fans is what that setup will actually cost, and how easy it will be to get every game. [Read more 🡒]