Cavaliers finally get encouraging injury update on Sam Merrill's hand injury

Among the laundry list of injuries, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been playing without one of their top emerging guards, Sam Merrill, for quite some time, but that might not be for long.

Cavaliers reporter Danny Cunningham shared that Merrill will be participating in a post-practice workout on Thursday. Merrill will be using his right hand to shoot for the first time in a month.

#Cavs guard Sam Merrill is going through a post-practice workout today. He’s using his right hand to shoot, which is the first time we’ve seen this since his injury last month.
— Danny Cunningham (@RealDCunningham) December 11, 2025

In last month's matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks, Merrill injured his wrist and has not returned since then. That's 10 total games he has missed, including the November 17 Bucks game.

Merrill is off to the best start of his six-year NBA career as he is averaging 13.9 points, 2.3 assists, and 2.1 rebounds per game. He has started in eight of the 12 games he has appeared in during the season so far.

Getting Merrill back would be a massive upgrade for the Cavaliers, who are desperate to get some key shooters back in the lineup. He has been a stellar sharpshooter for Cleveland, shooting 44.4% from the three-point line, 46.6% field, and 93.8% from the free-throw line.

He can also make a drastic impact in distributing the ball out to the other players on the court. While he won't make the kind of plays and run the offense like Donovan Mitchell could, Merrill still has good vision on the court to make the plays when the Cavaliers need them.

Cleveland is currently 14-11 and hanging on near the bottom of the playoff line in the Eastern Conference. Injuries, including the one Merrill suffered, have plagued this team and held them back from being at their full potential.

The problem is that the team might still be waiting for Merrill to come back, hopefully sooner rather than later. His status for the Cavaliers' next matchup against the Washington Wizards remains uncertain, but it doesn't look likely that he'll play.

How this rehab workout goes for Merrill on Thursday could determine when he comes back. The Cavaliers need to be careful not to rush Merrill back too soon, as that could make the wrist injury worse, but the team sure could use his return to get them back on track.

While there is a lot that needs to happen between this workout and Merrill's next game, Cavaliers fans can at least be encouraged that one of the team's top shooters is one step closer to returning to help.