Sam Merrill misses Cavaliers’ final scrimmage with elbow soreness, opener status unclear

Sam Merrill sat out the Cavaliers’ Wine & Gold scrimmage on Saturday, October 17, with right elbow soreness. That is the second straight tune-up he has missed, and it leaves his status for Thursday’s opener in Philadelphia unclear.

Danny Cunningham, who covers the team for Cleveland radio station 92.3 The Fan, first reported that Merrill would not take part. Fear the Sword then confirmed he was one of three players held out, along with Nae’Qwan Tomlin and Khalifa Diop. The Cavaliers have not given a timetable. He is effectively questionable for the opener until the team issues its first official injury report of the regular season.

Two missed rehearsals in five days

The elbow first came up before the October 13 preseason finale against Orlando, when Cleveland ruled him out. Before that, Merrill had looked normal: 8 points on 2-of-3 from deep in under 10 minutes against Boston on October 8, then 5 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists in about 18 minutes against the Magic three days later.

Missing Saturday’s scrimmage means more than it might seem. Kenny Atkinson had said all month that he would treat the event at Public Auditorium as a fourth exhibition game. It ran 36 minutes with regular NBA officials, and it was the last full-speed work before the season starts. A healthy rotation player would normally use that session to get his timing back, so sitting it out suggests the staff is still being cautious with the elbow.

What Cleveland loses without its shooter

Merrill’s value is concentrated in one skill. In 2025-26 he made 158 of 375 three-point attempts (42.1%) across 52 games and averaged 12.8 points in 26.5 minutes. More than three-quarters of his shots came from beyond the arc, and his 64.4% true shooting was among the most efficient marks on the roster. He also delivered the signature playoff moment of his career: 23 points and five threes in Game 7 of the conference semifinals against Detroit.

That kind of spacing matters more now that Atkinson is leaning toward pairing James Harden with Evan Mobley in pick-and-roll. If Merrill cannot go, the backcourt minutes would likely go to Craig Porter Jr. and Tyrese Proctor, who both played on Saturday and got early looks in the preseason finale. Neither offers the same catch-and-shoot threat. Jaylon Tyson and Peyton Watson could also absorb more wing time.

What comes next

The Cavaliers open the 2026-27 season at the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday, October 22, at 7 p.m. ET (Game Center). Cleveland’s first regular-season injury report, due the day before, should settle whether Merrill plays. Updates will appear on the NBA injuries page and the Cavaliers team page.