Sam Merrill Bio
Samuel Hoskins Merrill is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed “Money Merrill,” he was selected with the final pick of the 2020 NBA draft by the New Orleans Pelicans and was quickly traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, where he won an NBA championship in his rookie season. He played college basketball for the Utah State Aggies and developed a reputation as a sharpshooting guard known for his three-point accuracy and calm shooting stroke.
After time with the Memphis Grizzlies organization and a stint in the NBA G League with the Cleveland Charge, Merrill has found his stride as a key reserve and perimeter specialist for the Cavaliers. Standing 6 feet 4 inches tall and listed at 205 pounds, he has built a role as a reliable shooter off the bench for one of the Eastern Conference’s most consistent teams in recent seasons.
Early Life and Background
Samuel Hoskins Merrill was born on May 15, 1996, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, and grew up in Bountiful, Utah. He is the son of John and Jenny Merrill and has an older sister, Molli. Merrill attended Bountiful High School, where he steadily grew into one of the most productive players in the state and became a starter midway through his sophomore year, averaging 6.5 points and 2.6 assists per game.
As a junior, Merrill averaged 18.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 2.2 steals per game and was named first-team all-state by the Deseret News and Salt Lake Tribune. In his senior season, he posted 15.8 points, 7.4 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.3 steals per game while leading Bountiful to a Class 4A state title. A strong student as well as an athlete, Merrill was recruited by Stanford and Princeton before ultimately committing to Utah State.
Before beginning his college career, Merrill served a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Nicaragua, an experience that delayed his collegiate debut and shaped his work ethic and discipline on the court.
Path to Basketball
When Merrill returned from his mission in Nicaragua, he joined the Utah State Aggies and played under head coach Tim Duryea, who had replaced the retiring Stew Morrill. He averaged 9.4 points per game as a freshman and quickly showed the perimeter shooting ability that would become his trademark. As a sophomore, his scoring jumped to 16.3 points per game, earning him Third-team All-Mountain West Conference honors and establishing him as one of the conference’s premier shooters.
Merrill’s junior season turned him into a national name. He averaged 20.9 points, 4.2 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game, while shooting 46.1 percent from the floor, 37.6 percent from three-point range, and 90.9 percent from the free throw line. He led Utah State to a Mountain West tournament championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, was named Mountain West Player of the Year and tournament MVP, and was recognized as an AP Honorable Mention All-American.
He saved his best moments for the biggest stage, scoring a career-high 38 points on March 5, 2019, in a 100–96 overtime victory over Colorado State University. In his senior year, Merrill scored 32 points and five assists in a 75–72 win over Colorado State on February 11, eclipsing the 2,000-point mark for his career and passing Wayne Estes for third on Utah State’s all-time scoring list. He led the Aggies to another Mountain West tournament title, was again named First Team All-Mountain West and tournament MVP, and hit the game-winning three-pointer with 2.5 seconds remaining in a 59–56 upset of San Diego State in the championship game before the NCAA tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sam Merrill Career
Early Career (2020–2021)
On November 18, 2020, Merrill was selected by the New Orleans Pelicans as the 60th and final pick of the 2020 NBA draft. Six days later, on November 24, he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks as part of a four-team deal that also involved the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Nuggets. He began his professional career by being assigned to the Memphis Hustle of the NBA G League, making his debut on February 10, 2021.
In the regular season, Merrill appeared in 30 games for the Bucks, started two, and averaged 3.0 points and 1.0 rebound in 7.8 minutes per game while shooting 44.7 percent from three-point range. He appeared in eight playoff games during the Bucks’ championship run, averaging 3.8 minutes and 0.6 points and rebounds per game, and ended his rookie season as an NBA champion when Milwaukee defeated the Phoenix Suns in six games in the 2021 NBA Finals.
Milwaukee Bucks to Memphis Grizzlies (2020–2022)
Following the championship season, Merrill was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies on August 7, 2021, along with two future second-round picks, in exchange for Grayson Allen. He appeared in six games for the Grizzlies, averaging 4.2 points and 1.2 rebounds per game, before being waived on January 1, 2022. The brief stop in Memphis was a transitional period as he searched for a more permanent NBA home.
Cleveland Charge and Cavaliers (2022–Present)
After a brief signing with the Sacramento Kings that was cut short, Merrill joined the Cleveland Charge’s training camp roster on October 24, 2022, having been the No. 1 overall pick in the G League draft two days earlier. He signed a 10-day contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 3, 2023, and converted that into a multi-year contract on March 14, 2023, beginning what has become the most productive stretch of his NBA career.
He scored 27 points and hit eight three-pointers off the bench in a 124–116 win over the Utah Jazz on December 20, 2023, and posted 26 points, including a career-high 20 in the first half, in a 126–99 win over the Orlando Magic on January 22, 2024, helping lead Cleveland to its eighth straight victory. On March 27, 2024, Merrill broke the Cavaliers’ franchise record for most bench three-pointers in a season with his 129th three-pointer off the bench, surpassing Donyell Marshall’s previous mark set in 2005–06. On June 28, 2025, he re-signed with the Cavaliers on a four-year, $38 million contract, cementing his long-term role with the franchise.
Driving Style and Strengths
Merrill is best known as a perimeter specialist, a high-volume three-point shooter with a quick release and the poise to fire from well beyond the arc. He thrives in catch-and-shoot situations, spaces the floor as a release valve for ball-handlers, and plays within himself as a role player who rarely forces bad shots. His career efficiency from beyond the arc and his ability to deliver in spot minutes off the bench have made him a natural fit in the modern pace-and-space style favored by Cleveland’s coaching staff.
Notable Events and Milestones
Merrill’s milestone moments include his 38-point outburst against Colorado State in 2019, his game-winning three-pointer in the 2019–20 Mountain West tournament final against San Diego State, his NBA championship as a rookie in 2021, and his franchise-record 129th bench three-pointer for the Cavaliers in March 2024. He also passed Wayne Estes for third on Utah State’s all-time scoring list during his senior year, underscoring his place among the great scorers in Aggie history.
Sam Merrill Career Wins
Sam Merrill’s professional résumé is anchored by the 2021 NBA championship he won as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks in his rookie season, the only league title of his career to date. He has yet to capture a major individual NBA award, with his on-court success instead defined by shooting milestones and steady contributions as a reserve.
NBA Highlights
Merrill’s most memorable NBA win was the 2021 NBA Finals, when the Bucks defeated the Phoenix Suns in six games to claim the franchise’s first title in 50 years. He contributed to multiple Cleveland victories during the 2023–24 regular season, including the late-January 2024 win over Orlando that extended the Cavaliers’ winning streak to eight games.
Other Wins and Performances
At the collegiate level, Merrill led Utah State to back-to-back Mountain West tournament championships in 2019 and 2020, earning tournament MVP honors each time, and guided the Aggies to NCAA Tournament automatic bids in both seasons. He was a two-time First-team All-Mountain West selection and the 2019 Mountain West Player of the Year, cementing his status as one of the conference’s most decorated players of his era.
Sam Merrill Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Sam Merrill was raised in a close-knit family in Bountiful, Utah, by his parents, John and Jenny Merrill, and he has an older sister, Molli. The family supported his athletic development throughout his high school years and during his two-year mission in Nicaragua for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, an experience that delayed but did not derail his path to a professional basketball career.
Personal Life
Merrill married soccer player Kanyan Ward in May 2018. In November 2021, the couple announced they were expecting their first child, and their daughter Kendall was born in May 2022. Their second child, also a girl, was born in February 2025, and the family welcomed a son in January 2026. Merrill is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season marked a new chapter for Merrill after he re-signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers on a four-year, $38 million contract on June 28, 2025. The new deal reflected his growth into one of the team’s most reliable bench weapons and ensured he would remain a centerpiece of Cleveland’s perimeter rotation for years to come. He continued to deliver high-volume three-point shooting off the bench, helping the Cavaliers push toward the upper tier of the Eastern Conference standings.
On February 11, 2026, Merrill scored a career-high 32 points, 26 of which came in the first half, in a 138-113 blowout win over the Washington Wizards, nearly shooting a perfect game by going 11-of-12 from the field, including 9-of-9 in the first half. He carried that confidence into the postseason, scoring a playoff career-high 23 points against the Detroit Pistons in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on May 17, 2026, the 12th most points ever scored by a Cavaliers reserve in a playoff game since starters began being tracked in 1970-71.
With his long-term contract secured, his franchise three-point record already in hand, and a growing reputation as a clutch postseason contributor, Merrill’s outlook for the remainder of the 2025 season and beyond is firmly tied to Cleveland’s pursuit of a deep playoff run. His combination of elite shooting, team-friendly contract, and playoff poise positions him as a key building block for the Cavaliers’ continued contention in the Eastern Conference.
