Cavaliers hit hard in injury report ahead of Friday's game against Wizards

Unfortunately, after a week off of basketball, thing's look like they won't be getting easier for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

On Friday, Dec. 12, the Cavaliers will be taking on the Washington Wizards in the team's first ounce of action since last weekend. In the early hours of Friday, the injury report was released with four Cavaliers being ruled out.

While the team had nearly seven days to get back up to health, guards Sam Merrill and Max Strus, forward Larry Nance Jr. and center Jarrett Allen were all listed as unable to play against the Wizards.

#Cavs list Sam Merrill (hand), Jarrett Allen (finger), Larry Nance Jr. (calf) and Max Strus (foot) all as out tomorrow against the Wizards.
— Danny Cunningham (@RealDCunningham) December 11, 2025

The team is looking to rekindle momentum following a disappointing loss to the Golden State Warriors, 99-94. The Cavaliers finished that game shooting 34.6% from the field on 107 shots and 23.8% from deep range on 42 attempts.

And the loss of Merrill won't help those marks.

He's currently averaging 13.9 points a game on 46.6% from the field and 44.4% from three-point range. He's also been efficient when at the line, connecting on a 93.8% mark. However, he hasn't played in nearly a month due to a hand injury.

When playing, he's helped lead the Cavaliers nine wins and just three losses, without him the team has five wins and eight losses. If he can get healthy, the Cavaliers might be able to pull themselves out of the mud.

Being without Allen will also have a major impact on the team, but more on the glass then in the shooting department.

He's currently averaging 14.3 points and 7.6 rebounds. Of those nearly eight rebounds a night, 2.4 of them come on the offensive end in an attempt to extend possessions. With Allen not playing, the team has had to lean into a small-ball lineup or utilize some of the lackluster depth bigs they have on the roster.

Like Merrill, it's been a bit since Allen last suited up for the team. He hasn't stepped foot on an NBA court in the month of December, last playing against the Atlanta Hawks in a 130-123 loss. He finished that game with a measly eight points and eight rebounds for a negative 18 plus minus.

The Cavaliers need this game against the Wizards to go well and without two critical members of the rotation, they will look to have guys step up and shine. At guard, they'll look to Craig Porter Jr. to fill Merrill's role in making an impact on the offensive side of the ball, while the coaching staff will turn to forward Nae'Qwan Tomlin on the glass.

The Wizards and Cavaliers will clash from Capital One Arena in Washington with tip-off slated for 7:00 P.M. EST.

The team currently sports a 14-11 record, ranking them seventh in the Eastern Conference standings. The Wizards, on the other hand, are sputtering with just three wins and 19 losses this year.