It was never supposed to be this difficult for the Cleveland Cavaliers when it comes to the injury department. Luckily for them, one major return should be on its way for the team on Monday, getting them just a little bit closer to a clean bill of health.
The Cavaliers will host the Charlotte Hornets at Rocket Arena. Charlotte recently handed Cleveland a disappointing 119-111 overtime loss on Nov. 14. This time around, the Cavs should have the luxury of Sam Merrill being available for action.
Cavs reporter Danny Cunningham revealed Merrill (hand) has been listed as probable for the Monday night matchup.
Donovan Mitchell and Craig Porter Jr. both join him with that designation despite their illnesses. That leaves only Evan Mobley (calf), Max Strus (foot) and Larry Nance Jr. (calf) still unavailable for Cleveland.
Sam Merrill injury update could be the quiet turning point Cleveland’s been waiting for
This comes as very welcome news for the Cavaliers, who have seen Merrill putting in work during recent practices. After ramping up his on-court rehab, the sharpshooting guard can hopefully see the court in Cleveland following his 14-game absence.
His return comes at a time when the Cavaliers are looking to snap a three-game slide. That, in itself, really does not tell the full story.
Cleveland has gone 6-11 without Merrill in the lineup during the 2025-26 season. Their last 10 games feature an ugly record of 3-7. Even the wins have not packed much excitement for Cleveland during that stretch.
Instead, the experience has been filled with questions of mental toughness surfacing amid the same tired responses being heard after the losses. The situation has forced Kenny Atkinson to desperately hold onto the belief of there always being something to learn from the rough patches of the season like this.
To some capacity, there is some truth to be found in that sentiment.
Last year’s Indiana Pacers, who represented the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals, serve as a constant reminder of why it is too early to sound the panic alarms at this time of the year. The 2021-22 Boston Celtics were also rough out of the gates before turning their campaign around.
Merrill’s two-way impact on the perimeter will serve as a much-needed step towards that type of bounce-back for the Cavaliers. Barring any setbacks before tipoff, the added shooting punch and effortful defense will be a presence Cleveland sorely missed.