Cleveland Cavaliers hidden gem Sam Merrill is one of the franchise's best recent success stories.
Merrill jumped around the NBA and G League for years, never solidifying his spot with any one roster. He was a member of the 2021 championship Milwaukee Bucks, but he was forgotten by the league shortly after. When the Cavaliers added Merrill to the Charge, he quickly outperformed his teammates and opponents and earned a spot with the main rotation.
Since then, Merrill has been a constant face in wine and gold. The sharpshooting wing can ignite a home crowd or silence the opposing fans with his spark plug offense. This summer, Cleveland rewarded his determination and effort with a four-year, $38 million contract to stay in town.
The major pay raise was not just for his high-volume, efficient three-point shooting. Merrill is one of the Cavs to show the most improvement during his Cleveland tenure. Standing at just 6-foot-4, Merrill is an undersized and skinny wing player, but he has continually improved his defense to become of the team's most valuable two-way talents.
Keeping the veteran Merrill was a clear priority for the Cavs this offseason, coming to terms on the deal before free agency officially opened. Because Merrill was an incumbent free agent, the Cavaliers could negotiate a new deal ahead of the beginning of leaguewide free agency. Recently, Cavs writer Terry Pluto confirmed Merrill was receiving interest on the open market for upwards of $10 million per season, but he chose to stay with the Cavaliers on a discount.
Not only did Merrill take a discount for the Cavs, but the contracts his peers across the league have received this summer prove Cleveland is retaining the fan favorite on a bargain.
The average price for shooters is going up in the NBA
Other three-point shooting specialists came at a premium this summer, as hopeful contenders made large bids to add the best shooters to their rosters. In a sign-and-trade from the Miami Heat, Duncan Robinson agreed to join the Detroit Pistons on an average annual value of $16 million. While Duncan is still a subpar defender, his flamethrower shooting attracted attention across the NBA, and the Pistons were willing to pay the price to find a viable replacement for Malik Beasley.
Another comparable player to Merrill, Luke Kennard, signed a one-year, $11 million deal to stay with the Memphis Grizzlies. Last season, Kennard shot 43.3 percent from deep on four attempts per game. Kennard has been one of Memphis' best perimeter scorers in his two-and-a-half seasons with the franchise. At 28 years old, Kennard is a veteran presence with a proven track record of perimeter success.
Though Kennard is only making roughly $1.5 million more than Merrill, he could seek a hefty pay raise next summer or leave the organization altogether if another deal comes along. For the Cavaliers, Merrill is locked in for nearly a half decade at a reasonable number.
The cost to retain or add a three-point threat in the NBA is rising, and Merrill is now staying with the Cavs long-term on a deal noticeably cheaper and more team-friendly than either of the recent contracts for his peers. To an extent, Merrill is more versatile than either of his aforementioned counterparts, as well. Buying into the Cavs' system has greatly improved Merrill's overall impact on the game, becoming a better passer and defender along the way.
Merrill is one of the best movement shooters in the NBA, using his quick trigger to punish late rotations or taking advantage of a hard off-ball screen. With Merrill sticking with the Cavaliers, Cleveland's offense stays a dynamic shooting system with few flaws to exploit. Signing him to a long-term, team-friendly contract is just the cherry on top.