Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill went from a 3-point shooting extraordinaire to a utility man and underrated defender in his first year with coach Kenny Atkinson. Now, Merrill will get another crack at doing the same sort of stuff.
We knew this already, but the Cavs made it official on Sunday, announcing a multiyear contract. Unofficially, Merrill agreed to a deal of four years and $38 million.
Merrill, 29, just completed his third year in Cleveland, averaging 7.1 points and 37.2 percent shooting on 3-pointers, playing a career-high 71 games. While his perimeter shooting wasn’t as reliable as hoped, he did indeed become a strong defender and overall hustle player under Atkinson.
Cavs star Donovan Mitchell has also repeatedly made it known he has a great appreciation for Merrill’s game. The two have been playing together since Mitchell was with the Utah Jazz and Merrill a college player at nearby Utah State.
Merrill entered the offseason as an unrestricted free agent. While the Cavaliers lost Ty Jerome to the Memphis Grizzlies and Isaac Okoro to the Chicago Bulls, they added guard Lonzo Ball and free agent forward Larry Nance Jr., and yes, kept Merrill.
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