The Cavaliers have been one of the league’s most disappointing teams this season and it could open up sharpshooter Sam Merrill as a trade candidate. Cleveland has the most expensive roster in the NBA this season, but sits at just 5th in the East. Meanwhile, the Pistons have the financial flexibility to absorb Merrill’s contract and help solve their shooting woes.
Sam Merrill could be a perfect depth piece for the Pistons
Merrill has been a deadly outside shooter for years. Despite the Cavs’ overall disappointment this season, his 3-point shooting has been a high note. He’s hitting nearly 46% of his looks from outside while taking a career-high 7.8 attempts per game. That’s exactly the type of potent shooting the Pistons need in a trade deadline pickup.
Fortunately, the Pistons also have a traded player exception from last summer that can completely absorb Merrill’s $8.4 million contract. They could theoretically take him on without even trading a player back to the Cavaliers and just giving up some draft picks. However, the Cavs might want some players in return to improve their defensive toughness, which gives the Pistons multiple options.
The Pistons’ two biggest weaknesses are arguably lack of shooting from the wing and the future of their power forward position. Merrill solves the first problem emphatically with his playstyle. Not only is he an extremely accurate shooter, but he’s also been empowered to fire at will. This forces defenses to play him close and provides spacing for his teammates.
Another key element of any Pistons trade acquisition must be their ability to play defense. The team’s identity is built around defense, so any disruption on that end could have catastrophic consequences. But Merrill can hold up on that end too. He’s no lockdown stopper, but he competes hard and is rarely out of position.
Merrill’s defensive profile is similar to Duncan Robinson before he arrived in Detroit: a criminally underrated defender who’s solid as long as he doesn’t have to guard stars. On the Pistons, there are plenty of other options who can take on the star assignments instead. That’ll leave Merrill to chase shooters off screens, which is where he thrives.
Acquiring Sam Merrill for cheap would be a dream for the Pistons. His shooting would be the perfect weapon to round out the offense. At 29 years old, he’s firmly in the middle of his prime with a game that should age gracefully. Although he has the prototypical skills of a backup shooting guard, Merrill might be more available for trade than expected given the Cavaliers’ costly struggles so far.
Stealing him away from a division rival and potential playoff foe would just be icing on the cake.