Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill has truly capitalized on the opportunity he got when he was taken last in the 2020 NBA Draft. Five years since the New Orleans Pelicans selected him last in that draft class and traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, Merrill has struck a new deal with the Cavs, who are reportedly signing him to a four-year contract worth $38 million.
Merrill has come a long way in his basketball journey, as he also sets a new NBA record for being the highest-paid No. 60 draft pick, according to HoopsHype.
For comparison, Isaiah Thomas has earned $32.7 million in the NBA since getting picked last in the 2011 draft. Drazen Petrovic, Robert Sacre and Alex Acker, who were all the final picks in their respective draft classes, only have a combined earning total of a little over $9 million.
The Cavs’ move on Merrill shows how much they value his contributions and appreciates his potential to do more in Cleveland. In the 2024-25 NBA season, the former Utah State University Aggies star, who also hit one of the biggest shots in the program’s history, averaged 7.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists through 72 games while starting in only five games. He’s a dependable floor-stretcher for the Cavs, having knocked down 38.8 percent of his 3-point attempts on 5.5 attempts from deep per game over the last two seasons.
Merrill, who turned 29 years old in May, was initially signed by the Cavaliers to just a 10-day contract in 2023 before inking a three-year contract worth $5.01 million deal with the same team.
Merrill’s signing continues the busy front office activity in the Cavaliers’ backcourt. Earlier, the Cavs drafted former Duke Blue Devils guard Tyrese Proctor and traded Isaac Okoro to the Chicago Bulls for Lonzo Ball. One question for Cleveland is whether it will let Ty Jerome walk freely into the upcoming NBA free agency.
