Sam Merrill’s value is too good for Cavaliers to give up (6)
So far, we’ve had five relatively easy selections. Here’s where things start to get tricky. While they are very different players, the reasons for protecting Sam Merrill are quite similar to those for Tyson.
Merrill has a had a breakout year when he’s been healthy. He’s averaging 13.6 points per game while shooting an absurd 47.2 percent from 3-point. After being a back of the rotation-caliber player over the past couple seasons, he’s transformed into one of the league’s premier marksmen.
At the rate he’s making shots, Merrill is looking like easily a top-10 shooter in the league, and especially given his contract, he’s a very valubale piece on this roster.
After this year, Merrill is under contract for three more seasons, making $10 and a half million in the highest paid year of the deal. That’s just an awesome deal that the Cavaliers can’t afford to lose.
Like Tyson, he’s stepped up when Cleveland has needed him most. For perhaps the first time on this list there’s a plausible argument against a protection choice, but Merrill has more than earned 20+ minutes per game for the foreseeable future.