Sam Merrill was forced to wait for 59 other names to be called ahead of his own in the 2020 NBA Draft. Five years into his NBA career, a lot of teams will want a do-over on that night.
2020 was a confusing time for the world. Perhaps that is why so many teams failed to identify the talent and skill set that Merrill would bring to any lineup he was a part of. The Cleveland Cavaliers guard has firmly established himself as a strong shooter and defender.
That recently caught the attention of Sam Vecenie and Bryce Simon of the Game Theory Podcast. The pair were more than happy to sign the praises of Merrill during an episode of their show that featured a 2020 NBA Re-Draft.
Vecenie said, “Sam Merrill is a borderline starter in the NBA right now. … [Merrill] is one of the best shooters in the league just point-blank. … The reason I like him is because of the defense. He is a way underrated defender.”
Sam Merrill continues to carve out strong career after draft-day disappointment
Anyone that makes it to the NBA is an exceptional basketball player. That, in itself, is a major accomplishment. Still, it must have felt somewhat disappointing for Merrill to just barely sneak into the 2020 NBA Draft.
At this point, though, the teams who overlooked him did it at their own expense. That list even included the Cavaliers.
Merrill started his career with the Milwaukee Bucks, finding his way into a handful of games during his rookie season of 2020-21. After bouncing from the Bucks to the Memphis Grizzlies, the Cavaliers got their guy ahead of the 2022-23 campaign and watched him emerge with time and opportunity.
Merrill established himself as a quality role player in 2023-24, averaging 8.0 points per game off the bench, while shooting 40.4 percent from beyond the arc. The Cavaliers guard followed that up with 7.2 points per game last season, and another respectable percentage of 37.3 from distance.
Cleveland rewarded his growth within their system with a brand-new extension in 2025. Some thought it may have been a bit of an overpay. However, the Cavaliers proved willing to secure his future in Cleveland amid a championship push.
Merrill has actually posted a higher value over replacement player throughout his career thus far than the Cavaliers’ fifth overall selection, Isaac Okoro. The bench guard has also posted better win shares per-48 minutes (.116) than Okoro as well (.088).
Merrill should get the opportunity to serve as Donovan Mitchell’s backcourt partner early in 2025-26 until Darius Garland returns from his injury. The stage could be set for the former second-round pick to continue proving just how much of a steal he really was.