The Cavs are not dealing with a long-term injury problem, but they may still have to open the season short-handed. Sam Merrill was unavailable for the preseason finale after being limited in practice because of elbow discomfort, and as of today he has not been ruled out for opening night.
That makes his status worth watching because Merrill provides a lot for the offense. He is a dangerous shooter, the kind of player who can stretch a defense and give the Cavaliers more spacing around the rest of the rotation. When he is not available, that is not just one missing guard — it can change how the entire offense is arranged.
What his absence means
The immediate question is whether the Cavs will have to adjust their rotation if Merrill cannot go on opening night. With no one out for the long term, this is not a crisis, but it is still a real availability issue at a time when the team would prefer to be settled. If Merrill remains sidelined, players such as Craig Porter Jr. or Nae’Qwan Tomlin could be in line for more minutes, depending on how Kenny Atkinson chooses to manage the group.
The bigger takeaway is that the Cavs are entering the season with some uncertainty around a useful piece of the rotation. The preseason finale was already one game without him, and Saturday’s Wine & Gold Scrimmage came and went without Merrill as well. That does not guarantee a longer absence, but it does suggest the team will need to monitor him closely right up to opening night.
For now, the answer is simple: Sam Merrill was out, he has been limited, and the Cavs are still waiting for clarity. The good news is that the issue does not appear to be long-term. The less good news is that the timing could still matter when the Sixers arrive for opening night.
