The Cleveland Cavaliers have yet to win a game in the preseason thus far. However, their biggest victory may have just come in the form of a player returning from injury right before the new 2025-26 NBA regular season begins. Sam Merrill will be back in a Cavs uniform on Tuesday night.
Danny Cunningham reported on Twitter/X, "Sam Merrill says he will play tonight in the [Cavaliers] preseason finale. He hasn’t played yet this preseason due to an abductor injury."
The news is nothing short of great for the Cavaliers. Merrill will be an important piece for the early parts of the new season given Darius Garland is still recovering from toe surgery.
Cleveland will host the Detroit Pistons at Rocket Arena for their preseason finale on Tuesday. The matchup should offer Merrill an important opportunity to get some live reps in before the Cavaliers open the regular season on the road against the New York Knicks on Oct. 22.
Sam Merrill’s return gives Cavaliers a timely boost before the real games begin
Merrill is projected to start in the backcourt next to Donovan Mitchell for the Cavaliers while they await the return of their starting point guard. As such, there was a bit of unease growing with the fact that the sharpshooting guard had not been seen at all during the preseason.
In all fairness, rushing someone back to the court when the games don't count was never going to be the strategy. The Cavaliers were starting Jaylon Tyson in his place while awaiting Merrill receiving the green light to return to action.
Tyson proved to be a hound defensively, and even flashed his offensive upside in the third preseason game for Cleveland. However, there was not much done to unseat Merrill from a spot in the starting lineup.
The blend of movement shooting and aggressive point of attack defense brought by their returning guard will offer strong stability to the Cavaliers on both ends of the basketball court. Merrill is the type of player who boosts any lineup with ease, seamlessly able to fit in where needed.
What the Cavaliers will receive from having him as a starter over Tyson is polish. While their second-year man is showcasing exactly why the team has been high on him, there is still more consistency and refinement demanded of Tyson in his growth.
Merrill knows exactly who he is as an NBA pro at this point of his career. The 29-year-old has mastered his craft, and that kind of predictability is exactly what a team pushing for a championship should want.