Sam Merrill is a sharpshooting guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers — the last pick of the 2020 NBA Draft who turned into a valuable floor-spacer. A Utah State legend who hit a famous buzzer-beater and won Mountain West Player of the Year, he carved out an NBA career on elite three-point shooting, hitting over 40% from deep as a key Cleveland bench weapon.
Model lines Merrill at 12.8 pts (range 10.1–15.5) vs a 13 line — roughly a coin flip to clear it (48%).
Model favors Chicago Bulls (56%), projected 112–113, ~225 total at 96.9 pace.
The very last pick of his draft — who shot his way into an NBA rotation.
A Utah State legend, Merrill won Mountain West Player of the Year and hit a famous buzzer-beater before being drafted 60th — 'Mr. Irrelevant' — in 2020.
He found a home in Cleveland as a floor-spacing specialist, shooting over 40% from three.
His elite shooting made him a valuable rotation weapon on a contender.
The last pick of his draft who became a knockdown shooter — Cleveland's bench sniper.
Sam Merrill was born in Bountiful, Utah and became a Utah State legend, winning Mountain West Player of the Year and hitting a famous buzzer-beater to win the 2020 conference tournament. He was the 60th and final pick of the 2020 draft — 'Mr. Irrelevant' — by Milwaukee.
After bouncing early in his career, he found a home in Cleveland as a floor-spacing specialist, shooting over 40% from three and providing instant offense off the bench. His elite, high-volume shooting made him a valuable rotation piece on a contending Cavaliers team.
Sources: Wikipedia, NBA.com, Basketball-Reference.
Merrill's story is a testament to a single elite skill: shooting. As the very last pick of the 2020 draft, he faced long odds, but a Utah State career defined by clutch shot-making — including one of the more memorable buzzer-beaters in recent Mountain West history — foreshadowed an NBA niche as a marksman.
His identity is spacing and shot-making. On a Cleveland team with two lead scorers and a veteran playmaker, Merrill's job is to relocate, catch, and fire — and he does it at a high enough clip to stay in the rotation, the classic modern value of a specialist who does one thing exceptionally well.
A pure catch-and-shoot marksman — the last-pick underdog who bends defenses.
Spacing off the bench
Merrill's value is elite, high-volume three-point shooting — the kind of gravity that opens the floor for Mitchell, Mobley, and Harden. Turning the last pick of a draft into a 40%-plus bench marksman is a genuine development win, and his shot-making gives Cleveland's second unit real offensive punch.
Per game
| Season | GP | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | FG% | 3P% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 52 | 26.5 | 12.8 | 2.6 | 2.4 | .461 | .421 |
Source: Basketball-Reference.
Where he sits in history
Hardware
An elite bench shooter — floor-spacing value for a Cleveland contender.
A cost-effective specialist, Merrill gives the Cavaliers reliable, high-volume three-point shooting off the bench. His defense and size are limited, but his spacing is a genuine weapon on a team full of shot creators.
Contract
The last pick of his draft turned knockdown shooter. Cleveland's bench sniper — elite, cost-controlled spacing on a contender.
Yes — he was the 60th and final pick of the 2020 NBA Draft, 'Mr. Irrelevant,' and turned into a valuable 40%-plus three-point shooter.
Elite catch-and-shoot three-point shooting off the bench; in college he won Mountain West Player of the Year and hit a famous buzzer-beater at Utah State.