Before the Cleveland Cavaliers host the Portland Trail Blazers tonight, there was some more worrying news following shootaround.
It comes following a plethora of injuries to the Cavs’ side, who still hold a winning record going into the Christmas period but are desperate to welcome back one of their unsung heroes from the first two weeks of the season.
As reported by Cavaliers beat writer Danny Cunningham, Sam Merrill went through an on-court workout today; however, Merrill was not using his right hand.
It’s a worrying sign for the Cavaliers, with Merrill being out of action since he injured his right hand during Cleveland’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks on November 17.
#Cavs Sam Merrill went through an on-court workout today after shootaround, but it didn’t involve much use — if any — of his right hand.
— Danny Cunningham (@RealDCunningham) December 3, 2025
In the opening weeks of the season, Merrill was a key component of the Cavaliers’ side, who at the time were without Darius Garland, Max Strus (who is still absent), and, for a very brief time, Donovan Mitchell.
Sadly, for the Cavaliers, Merrill’s injuries are very prominent. Before his right-hand strain, he suffered a right hip contusion in the season’s infancy against the Detroit Pistons, which was caused by a collision with his teammate Evan Mobley.
It’s a further blow to the Cleveland side, who miss Merrill’s overall impact on the game, due to his deadly shooting, pesky perimeter defense, active playmaking and bundles of energy.
He also did a great job spacing the floor, creating scoring opportunities for players, with Mitchell being the main beneficiary.
Before the injury, Merrill averaged 13.9 points 2.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game, shooting 46.6 percent from the floor and 44.4 percent from three-point range on just under nine attempts.
They could certainly have used a player like Merrill in the lineup ahead of tonight’s battle with the Portland Trail Blazers, as the Cavs’ opponents tonight are in a slump, having lost three games in a row.
For the Cavaliers to be victorious, they need suffocating defense in the paint and along the perimeter, which would lead to getting key stops and breaking out in transition, something Cleveland was ruthless at last season.
With Mobley potentially controlling matters inside, Merrill could have been the perfect player to monitor the perimeter against a Trail Blazers outfit that is tied with the Indiana Pacers as one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the NBA.
Instead, the wait goes on, as Kenny Atkinson continues to monitor Merrill and Cleveland, looking to get results without him.