Sam Merrill remained limited in practice Monday as the Cleveland Cavaliers prepared for the start of the regular season.
According to Kenny Atkinson, Merrill participated on a limited basis, Nae’Qwan Tomlin continued to sit out practice and Khalifa Diop is recovering from an injury setback. Return dates for the three players were not provided.
Cleveland opens at Philadelphia on Thursday, Oct. 22.
Merrill’s status follows his absence from the preseason finale with right elbow soreness. Monday’s limited participation does not establish whether he will be available against the 76ers.
Sam Merrill remains a key piece of Cavs’ bench plans
Merrill averaged 12.8 points per game and shot 42.1 percent from 3-point range in 2025-26. His shooting gives Cleveland a way to create space around its ball-handlers without asking another player to take over the offense.
Earlier in camp, Atkinson outlined the size of the rotation he wanted to use.
“I’ve done 11, but 10 is most manageable,” said Atkinson. “That’s the goal.”
Merrill is likely among the seven players in the established rotation, alongside James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Peyton Watson, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and Jaylon Tyson.
If Merrill cannot play, Cleveland would need to fill minutes that had appeared more settled than the competition for the remaining bench spots.
Cleveland has already tested other guard combinations
During the Oct. 13 preseason finale, Craig Porter Jr. was Cleveland’s first backup guard to enter, checking in as the team’s eighth player with Merrill unavailable.
That gives Atkinson one recent option to consider, although the substitution order from a preseason game does not guarantee the same arrangement against Philadelphia.
Meleek Thomas is another player whose role remains under evaluation. In a report from Saturday’s Wine & Gold scrimmage, Atkinson discussed finding the right balance for Thomas and using him alongside Mitchell so Mitchell could work off the ball.
That would offer a different solution from Merrill’s perimeter shooting: another player handling creation duties while Mitchell moves away from the ball. It remains a possible lineup choice, not an announced replacement plan.
Merrill, Tomlin and Diop all missed that scrimmage. Monday’s update leaves Cleveland preparing for its opener with questions about both its guard rotation and frontcourt depth.
