Sam Merrill is putting together an exceptional season with the Cleveland Cavaliers and is currently the second-most efficient 3-point shooter in the entire league at an incredible 46.2 percent from deep, ahead of teammate Jaylon Tyson and behind Luke Kennard of the Los Angeles Lakers , who leads the way at an untouchable 49.4 percent.
Among the top 10 shooters, only Kon Knueppel attempts more threes per game than Merrill's 7.3, at 8.0 per contest. With 3.4 made threes per game, Merrill is tied for fifth this season. It marks the best shooting season of the 29-year-old from Albuquerque.
However, he entered the league at 23 after a standout college career at Utah State, where he was one of the best shooters of his generation. Still, his path to the NBA was not easy and was marked by his two-year mission in Nicaragua before his freshman year, during which he experienced a traumatic incident.
"A guy comes up to us, and he's like, 'Give me your phone.' We had those $10 phones, and they said if they ask for it, just give it to them, so I gave him the phone. I was the only one that had a phone, so the guy walked away. As this is happening, and I didn't see this, the guy grabs this big rock and throws it right to my face, hits me right in my mouth," Merrill recalled on "The Old Man and the Three" podcast.
"So I didn't see this coming, so immediately there was blood everywhere. There are people around, and they start yelling. We call our leaders, they come get us, they take me to the hospital, and I ended up getting two teeth replaced. I had to do like six months of dental work right there," Merrill added.
The 6-foot-4 guard was a member of "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" and he spent two years in Nicaragua on a church mission before college. That typically means volunteering as a missionary, living in a local community and spending time talking to people about faith and helping with community activities.
However, once he returned to college, he did not allow that shocking experience to hold him back. After a developmental first season, he broke out in his third year at Utah State, averaging 20.9 points and 4.2 assists on 46.1 percent shooting.
He entered the league late and was selected with the 60th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, which clearly adds perspective to the fact that, despite his outstanding shooting numbers, few saw major upside in him, especially since he was no longer a particularly young prospect.
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Now, he is playing the most mature and best season of his career, averaging 13.2 points and 2.2 assists while shooting 48.3 percent from the field, 46.2 percent from deep and 85.4 percent from the free-throw line in 25.8 minutes per game.
He is posting career-best numbers and has become one of the key pieces for Kenny Atkinson's team, which, despite various challenges, sits fourth in the Eastern Conference and is just three wins behind the second-place Boston Celtics .
Although they are not widely considered true contenders this season, the team led by Donovan Mitchell has certainly not given up on the year. As they chase a return to the heights reached exactly a decade ago, when LeBron James and company delivered the first championship in franchise history to Cleveland, Merrill will be one of the key factors in achieving that goal.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Mar 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
