Cavs’ Sam Merrill (hip) exited the team’s 116-95 win early due to injury

Donovan Mitchell and the Cavs were on the road Monday evening to face the Detroit Pistons. In that matchup, Cleveland was thin at depth in their backcourt. 

Darius Garland, Max Strus, and Lonzo Ball were all unavailable due to injury. Cleveland’s Sam Merrill was off to another strong start on Monday with 11 points in 18 minutes of action. However, the SG accidentally collided with PF Evan Mobley. While there has been no injury update, head coach Kenny Atkinson believes it’s a hip injury for Sam Merrill. They will evaluate his condition before they decide if he’ll miss time.

Sam Merrill suffered a hip injury against the Pistons on Monday

Cavs’ Sam Merrill exits win over Pistons with hip injury https://t.co/uNycdwzQXF

— Sam Amico (@AmicoHoops) October 28, 2025

Despite a third-straight win on Monday, the Cavaliers are hurting in the backcourt. Darius Garland and Max Strus have yet to make their 2025-26 debut for the Cavs. Lonzo Ball played in the team’s first three games but was out Monday as the team is still managing his workload. With Darius Garland out, Cavs’ Sam Merrill has started the first four games of the season. He’s averaging a career-high 17.3 points per game despite the small sample size and increased minutes.

Against the Pistons on Monday, Sam Merrill was 4-7 shooting and 3-6 from beyond the arc. He finished the game with 11 points, one rebound, one assist, and two steals. The 29-year-old left the game early after suffering a hip injury. Sam Merrill collided with Cavs PF Evan Mobley. Head coach Kenny Atkinson said he believes it could be a hip pointer injury for Merrill. However, there has been no medical update from the team as of Tuesday morning.

Sam Merrill will not return with a hip injury. https://t.co/uQ73Dklrgw

— RealCavsFans.com (@realcavsfans) October 28, 2025

Team beat reporter Ethan Sans reported that Sam Merrill was seen walking around the locker room with a “clear limp.” Sam Merrill’s injury comes at a frustrating time for the Cavaliers. The team is already hurting in the backcourt. Cleveland cannot afford for Sam Merrill to miss an extended period of time.

This offseason, the Cavs had to either pay Sam Merrill or Ty Jerome. Merrill signed a four-year, $38 million deal to stay with Cleveland. Jerome left in free agency to sign with the Grizzlies. During Monday night’s broadcast, play-by-play announcer Noah Eagle reported that head coach Kenny Atkinson loved Sam Merrill’s practice habits and the energy he brought to the team. After exiting Monday’s win early due to injury, Cavs fans will be waiting to hear if Merrill will miss any time.