Entering this NBA offseason, there was wide belief that Sam Merrill, who prepped at Bountiful High before starring at Utah State, would get a big payday in free agency thanks to his development as a sharpshooter with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The thought was that Merrill would have to change teams in order to get major money, but on Saturday multiple outlets reported that he and the Cavs have agreed to a four-year deal worth $38 million.
News of the deal came just after reports surfaced that Cleveland would be trading Isaac Okoro to the Chicago Bulls for Lonzo Ball.
According to HoopsHype, Merrill’s deal will make NBA history. Merrill was the 60th and final player chosen in the 2020 NBA Draft, and will now become the highest paid 60th pick in league history.
At the end of the deal, Merrill will have made nearly $45.7 million in his career, exceeding the nearly $33 million two-time NBA All-Star Isaiah Thomas made.
No other 60th overall pick has reached $5 million in career earnings.
This of course comes as NBA player salaries have never been higher, but nevertheless, Merrill has developed into an extremely valuable role player in five seasons as a pro, and particularly over the last two.
After appearing in just 49 games over three seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, Memphis Grizzlies and Cavs, Merrill has played in 150 games (regular season and playoffs combined) the last two seasons for Cleveland.
In the 2024-25 campaign, the 29-year-old Merrill averaged 7.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 19.7 minutes per game.