Sam Merrill
Sam Merrill's journey in professional basketball is a captivating tale of resilience, talent, and seizing every opportunity. From being the very last pick in the NBA draft to earning a championship ring and setting franchise records, his path has been anything but conventional. Come along as we explore how 'Money Merrill' defied expectations and carved out a significant role for himself in the league. Sam Merrill's unique path to college basketball included a two-year mission trip before his impressive collegiate career. Drafted as the final pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Merrill quickly contributed to an NBA championship in his rookie season. He revitalized his NBA career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, becoming a prolific three-point specialist and setting franchise records for bench scoring.
AI Summary
Sam Merrill's journey in professional basketball is a captivating tale of resilience, talent, and seizing every opportunity. From being the very last pick in the NBA draft to earning a championship ring and setting franchise records, his path has been anything but conventional. Come along as we explore how 'Money Merrill' defied expectations and carved out a significant role for himself in the league.
- Sam Merrill's unique path to college basketball included a two-year mission trip before his impressive collegiate career.
- Drafted as the final pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Merrill quickly contributed to an NBA championship in his rookie season.
- He revitalized his NBA career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, becoming a prolific three-point specialist and setting franchise records for bench scoring.
From Utah Courts to College Stardom
Samuel Hoskins Merrill, born in Bountiful, Utah, displayed his basketball prowess early on. By his sophomore year at Bountiful High, he was a starter, showcasing a knack for scoring and assisting. His junior and senior seasons were nothing short of dominant, with Merrill leading his team to a 4A state title in his final year, drawing interest from top college programs.
Despite recruiting efforts from prestigious schools like Stanford and Princeton, Merrill chose to commit to Utah State University. However, his journey to the Aggies' court took a unique detour: a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Nicaragua. This experience paused his basketball career but deepened his resolve and perspective.
A Rising Star in College Basketball
Upon his return, Merrill joined Utah State, adapting to a new head coach, Tim Duryea. His freshman year saw him average a respectable 9.4 points per game, a promising start after his two-year hiatus from competitive play.
By his sophomore season, Merrill had firmly established himself, averaging 16.3 points per game and earning Third-team All-Mountain West Conference honors. Off the court, his personal life flourished as well, marrying soccer player Kanyan Ward in May 2018.
Merrill's junior year was his true breakout. He averaged an impressive 20.9 points, 4.2 assists, and 3.9 rebounds, while shooting lights out — 46.1% from the field, 37.6% from three-point range, and an incredible 90.9% from the free-throw line. He led USU to a Mountain West tournament championship, securing an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, and was rightfully named MWC Player of the Year and Tournament MVP.
His senior year continued the trend of excellence. Merrill eclipsed the 2,000-point mark for his career, becoming third on USU's all-time scoring list. He once again led the Aggies to another MWC tournament championship, where he hit a game-winning three-pointer in the final seconds and was named Tournament MVP for a second consecutive year. Tragically, the NCAA Tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, denying him a final collegiate dance.
From Mr. Irrelevant to NBA Champion
Despite his stellar college career, Sam Merrill was a late-round prospect in the 2020 NBA Draft. On November 18, 2020, he heard his name called as the very last pick — the 60th overall — by the New Orleans Pelicans. This 'Mr. Irrelevant' label, often associated with the final pick, would soon take on an ironic twist.
Milwaukee Bucks: A Rookie Ring
Just days after the draft, Merrill was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks as part of a four-team deal. He spent some time with the Memphis Hustle in the NBA G League, honing his skills. However, his main impact came with the Bucks, where he appeared in 30 regular-season games, shooting an impressive 44.7% from beyond the arc.
Merrill's rookie season culminated in the most unexpected way: an NBA championship. Though he played limited minutes in the playoffs, he was a contributing member of the Milwaukee Bucks team that defeated the Phoenix Suns in the 2021 NBA Finals. What a journey for the last pick — an NBA champion in his very first year!
A Brief Stop in Memphis
Following his championship season, Merrill was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in August 2021. His tenure there was brief, appearing in six games before being waived in January 2022. It was a challenging period, but Merrill's resilience would soon lead him to his next opportunity.
Finding a Home and Breaking Records in Cleveland
After a short stint with the Sacramento Kings' preseason roster, Merrill's journey led him to the Cleveland Charge in the G League, where he was the No. 1 overall pick in the G League draft. This G League experience proved to be a pivotal stepping stone.
His strong play earned him a 10-day contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers in March 2023, which quickly blossomed into a multi-year deal. Merrill soon became a vital offensive spark off the bench. On December 20, 2023, he erupted for 27 points, hitting 8 three-pointers against the Utah Jazz — a sign of things to come.
Merrill continued to deliver clutch performances, scoring 26 points (with 20 in the first half!) in a dominant win over the Orlando Magic. He etched his name in Cavaliers' history on March 27, 2024, breaking Donyell Marshall's franchise record for most bench three-pointers in a single season. His career-high of 32 points, nearly perfect from the field, further solidified his reputation as a premier shooter.
Life Off the Court
Beyond the hardwood, Sam Merrill cherishes his family. He married Kanyan Ward in 2018, and they welcomed their daughter, Kendall, in May 2022, followed by a son in February 2025. His faith, as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, continues to be a foundational aspect of his life, notably influencing his decision to serve a two-year mission before college.
Career Statistics
To truly appreciate Sam Merrill's impact, let's look at the numbers. Here's a quick guide to the abbreviations in the tables below:\n\nGP: Games played\nGS: Games started\nMPG: Minutes per game\nFG%: Field goal percentage\n3P%: 3-point field goal percentage\nFT%: Free throw percentage\nRPG: Rebounds per game\nAPG: Assists per game\nSPG: Steals per game\nBPG: Blocks per game\nPPG: Points per game\nBold: Career high\n†: Won an NBA championship
NBA Regular Season
Year\tTeam\tGP\tGS\tMPG\tFG%\t3P%\tFT%\tRPG\tAPG\tSPG\tBPG\tPPG\n2020–21†\tMilwaukee\t30\t2\t7.8\t.444\t.447\t1.000\t1.0\t.7\t.3\t.0\t3.0\n2021–22\tMemphis\t6\t0\t9.6\t.333\t.304\t.500\t1.2\t.7\t.0\t.0\t4.2\n2022–23\tCleveland\t5\t0\t11.7\t.409\t.278\t1.000\t1.8\t1.0\t.8\t.0\t5.0\n2023–24\tCleveland\t61\t1\t17.5\t.402\t.404\t.929\t2.0\t1.8\t.3\t.1\t8.0\n2024–25\tCleveland\t71\t4\t19.7\t.406\t.372\t.966\t2.2\t1.5\t.7\t.2\t7.2\nCareer\t\t173\t7\t13.9\t.405\t.386\t.925\t1.9\t1.4\t.5\t.1\t6.5
NBA Playoffs
Year\tTeam\tGP\tGS\tMPG\tFG%\t3P%\tFT%\tRPG\tAPG\tSPG\tBPG\tPPG\n2021†\tMilwaukee\t8\t0\t3.7\t.286\t.200\t—\t.6\t.1\t.5\t.0\t.6\n2024\tCleveland\t10\t0\t12.5\t.345\t.370\t1.000\t1.2\t.9\t.0\t.0\t3.3\n2025\tCleveland\t8\t3\t19.9\t.375\t.359\t.667\t2.5\t1.8\t.5\t.3\t5.8\nCareer\t\t26\t3\t12.1\t.355\t.352\t.833\t1.4\t.9\t.3\t.1\t3.2
College Career
Year\tTeam\tGP\tGS\tMPG\tFG%\t3P%\tFT%\tRPG\tAPG\tSPG\tBPG\tPPG\n2016–17\tUtah State\t31\t18\t26.2\t.450\t.451\t.878\t3.0\t3.2\t.9\t.2\t9.1\n2017–18\tUtah State\t34\t33\t35.4\t.504\t.464\t.849\t3.3\t3.1\t1.0\t.2\t16.3\n2018–19\tUtah State\t35\t35\t35.3\t.461\t.376\t.909\t3.9\t4.2\t1.1\t.3\t20.9\n2019–20\tUtah State\t32\t32\t35.0\t.461\t.410\t.893\t4.1\t3.9\t.9\t.1\t19.7\nCareer\t\t132\t118\t33.1\t.470\t.420\t.891\t3.6\t3.6\t1.0\t.2\t16.6
Article
Sam Merrill
Samuel Hoskins Merrill (born May 15, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed “Money Merrill,” he was drafted with the last pick of the 2020 NBA draft and acquired by the Milwaukee Bucks, with whom he won an NBA championship. He played college basketball for the Utah State Aggies.
Early life
Sam Merrill
Merrill is the son of John and Jenny Merrill and has an older sister, Molli. He grew up in Bountiful, Utah and attended Bountiful High School. He became a starter as a sophomore at the midpoint in the season and averaged 6.5 points per game and 2.6 assists. 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. He posted 15.8 points, 7.4 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.3 steals per game as a senior and led Bountiful to a 4A state title. Merrill was recruited by Stanford and Princeton but committed to USU.
College career
Sam Merrill
Merrill went on a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to Nicaragua before his freshman year at Utah State University. When he returned, head coach Stew Morrill retired and was replaced by Tim Duryea. Merrill posted 9.4 points per game as a freshman.
In his sophomore season, Merrill averaged 16.3 points per game for the Aggies. He was named Third-team All-Mountain West Conference (MWC). Merrill married soccer player Kanyan Ward in May 2018.
As a junior, Merrill averaged 20.9 points, 4.2 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game. He shot 46.1 percent from the floor, 37.6 percent from behind the three-point line, and 90.9 percent from the free throw line. Merrill led USU to a Mountain West tournament championship, securing the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. He was named the MWC Player of the Year and tournament MVP, as well as AP Honorable Mention All-American. Merrill had a career-high 38 points on March 5, 2019, in a 100–96 overtime victory over Colorado State University (CSU).
Merrill at Utah State in 2020
In the season opener of his senior year, Merrill had 28 points to help USU defeat Montana State 81–73. On February 11, versus CSU, Merrill eclipsed the 2,000-point mark for his career and passed Wayne Estes for third on USU's all-time scoring list. He finished with 32 points and five assists in a 75–72 win. At the conclusion of the regular season, Merrill was named First Team All-MWC. Merrill led USU to another MWC tournament championship, securing the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, and was named MWC tournament MVP. The tournament was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic soon after his final game, where he scored 27 points in a 59–56 upset of San Diego State in the tournament final and hit the game-winning three-pointer with 2.5 seconds remaining.
Professional career
Milwaukee Bucks (2020–2021)
On November 18, 2020, Merrill was selected by the New Orleans Pelicans as the final pick of the 2020 NBA draft.
On November 24, Merrill was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks as part of a four-team trade involving the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Nuggets. He was assigned to the Memphis Hustle of the NBA G League to start the G League season, making his Hustle debut on February 10, 2021. In the regular season he played in 30 games for the Bucks and started two while averaging 3.0 points and 1.0 rebound, and shot 44.7% from three, in 7.8 minutes per game. On the Bucks playoff run, Merrill appeared in 8 games, averaging 3.8 minutes and 0.6 points and rebounds per game. Merrill ended his rookie season as an NBA champion when the Bucks defeated the Phoenix Suns in 6 games in the 2021 NBA Finals.
Memphis Grizzlies (2021–2022)
On August 7, 2021, Merrill was traded, along with two future second-round picks, to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Grayson Allen. On January 1, 2022, he was waived. Merrill averaged 4.2 points and 1.2 rebounds per game in 6 games for the Grizzlies.
Cleveland Charge / Cavaliers (2022–present)
On August 13, 2022, Merrill signed with the Sacramento Kings. He was waived prior to the start of the season.
On October 24, 2022, Merrill joined the Cleveland Charge's training camp roster. He was the No. 1 overall pick in the G League draft two days earlier.
Merrill pregame in 2023
On March 3, 2023, Merrill signed a 10-day contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers. On March 14, he signed a multi-year contract with the Cavaliers. On December 20, he scored 27 points and hit 8 three-pointers off the bench as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Utah Jazz 124–116. On January 22, 2024, he scored 26 points, including a career-high 20 in the first half, in a 126–99 win over the Orlando Magic, helping lead Cleveland to its eighth straight win. Merrill broke the franchise record for most bench three-pointers in a season on March 27, 2024. It was his 129th three-pointer off the bench for the 2023–24 season, breaking Donyell Marshall's previous record that was set during the 2005–06 season.
On June 28, 2025, Merrill re-signed with the Cavaliers on a four-year, $38 million contract. 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. Merrill nearly shot a perfect game, shooting a perfect 9-of-9 in the first half and 11-of-12 for the entire game.
Personal life
Sam Merrill
In May 2018, Merrill married Kanyan Ward. In November 2021, the couple announced they were having a baby girl and in May 2022 their daughter Kendall was born. Their second child, a son, was born February 2025. Merrill is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and served a two-year mission in Nicaragua.
Career statistics
Sam Merrill
<table><thead><tr><th> GP</th><th>Games played</th><th> GS </th><th>Games started</th><th> MPG </th><th>Minutes per game</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td> FG% </td><td>Field goal percentage</td><td> 3P% </td><td>3-point field goal percentage</td><td> FT% </td><td>Free throw percentage</td></tr><tr><td> RPG </td><td>Rebounds per game</td><td> APG </td><td>Assists per game</td><td> SPG </td><td>Steals per game</td></tr><tr><td> BPG </td><td>Blocks per game</td><td> PPG </td><td>Points per game</td><td> Bold </td><td>Career high</td></tr><tr><td> † </td><td>Won an NBA championship</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>
Regular season
<table><thead><tr><th>Year</th><th>Team</th><th>GP</th><th>GS</th><th>MPG</th><th>FG%</th><th>3P%</th><th>FT%</th><th>RPG</th><th>APG</th><th>SPG</th><th>BPG</th><th>PPG</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>2020–21†</td><td>Milwaukee</td><td>30</td><td>2</td><td>7.8</td><td>.444</td><td>.447</td><td>1.000</td><td>1.0</td><td>.7</td><td>.3</td><td>.0</td><td>3.0</td></tr><tr><td>2021–22</td><td>Memphis</td><td>6</td><td>0</td><td>9.6</td><td>.333</td><td>.304</td><td>.500</td><td>1.2</td><td>.7</td><td>.0</td><td>.0</td><td>4.2</td></tr><tr><td>2022–23</td><td>Cleveland</td><td>5</td><td>0</td><td>11.7</td><td>.409</td><td>.278</td><td>1.000</td><td>1.8</td><td>1.0</td><td>.8</td><td>.0</td><td>5.0</td></tr><tr><td>2023–24</td><td>Cleveland</td><td>61</td><td>1</td><td>17.5</td><td>.402</td><td>.404</td><td>.929</td><td>2.0</td><td>1.8</td><td>.3</td><td>.1</td><td>8.0</td></tr><tr><td>2024–25</td><td>Cleveland</td><td>71</td><td>4</td><td>19.7</td><td>.406</td><td>.372</td><td>.966</td><td>2.2</td><td>1.5</td><td>.7</td><td>.2</td><td>7.2</td></tr><tr><td>Career</td><td>173</td><td>7</td><td>13.9</td><td>.405</td><td>.386</td><td>.925</td><td>1.9</td><td>1.4</td><td>.5</td><td>.1</td><td>6.5</td></tr></tbody></table>
Playoffs
<table><thead><tr><th>Year</th><th>Team</th><th>GP</th><th>GS</th><th>MPG</th><th>FG%</th><th>3P%</th><th>FT%</th><th>RPG</th><th>APG</th><th>SPG</th><th>BPG</th><th>PPG</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>2021†</td><td>Milwaukee</td><td>8</td><td>0</td><td>3.7</td><td>.286</td><td>.200</td><td>—</td><td>.6</td><td>.1</td><td>.5</td><td>.0</td><td>.6</td></tr><tr><td>2024</td><td>Cleveland</td><td>10</td><td>0</td><td>12.5</td><td>.345</td><td>.370</td><td>1.000</td><td>1.2</td><td>.9</td><td>.0</td><td>.0</td><td>3.3</td></tr><tr><td>2025</td><td>Cleveland</td><td>8</td><td>3</td><td>19.9</td><td>.375</td><td>.359</td><td>.667</td><td>2.5</td><td>1.8</td><td>.5</td><td>.3</td><td>5.8</td></tr><tr><td>Career</td><td>26</td><td>3</td><td>12.1</td><td>.355</td><td>.352</td><td>.833</td><td>1.4</td><td>.9</td><td>.3</td><td>.1</td><td>3.2</td></tr></tbody></table>
College
<table><thead><tr><th>Year</th><th>Team</th><th>GP</th><th>GS</th><th>MPG</th><th>FG%</th><th>3P%</th><th>FT%</th><th>RPG</th><th>APG</th><th>SPG</th><th>BPG</th><th>PPG</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>2016–17</td><td>Utah State</td><td>31</td><td>18</td><td>26.2</td><td>.450</td><td>.451</td><td>.878</td><td>3.0</td><td>3.2</td><td>.9</td><td>.2</td><td>9.1</td></tr><tr><td>2017–18</td><td>Utah State</td><td>34</td><td>33</td><td>35.4</td><td>.504</td><td>.464</td><td>.849</td><td>3.3</td><td>3.1</td><td>1.0</td><td>.2</td><td>16.3</td></tr><tr><td>2018–19</td><td>Utah State</td><td>35</td><td>35</td><td>35.3</td><td>.461</td><td>.376</td><td>.909</td><td>3.9</td><td>4.2</td><td>1.1</td><td>.3</td><td>20.9</td></tr><tr><td>2019–20</td><td>Utah State</td><td>32</td><td>32</td><td>35.0</td><td>.461</td><td>.410</td><td>.893</td><td>4.1</td><td>3.9</td><td>.9</td><td>.1</td><td>19.7</td></tr><tr><td>Career</td><td>132</td><td>118</td><td>33.1</td><td>.470</td><td>.420</td><td>.891</td><td>3.6</td><td>3.6</td><td>1.0</td><td>.2</td><td>16.6</td></tr></tbody></table>