Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images

Kenny Atkinson, Cleveland Cavaliers

Coming out of Game 1 against the Detroit Pistons, the Cleveland Cavaliers have two concerns.

The first being the obvious, the Cavaliers have to get back on track after falling behind 0-1. The second concern is regarding the veteran guard, Sam Merrill.

As the Cavaliers were attempting to steal the first game on the road against the Pistons, Merrill was forced to leave the game early as he dealt with a setback.

Is There An Update on Merrill?

Jason Miller/Getty ImagesCLEVELAND, OHIO – APRIL 02: Sam Merrill #5 of the Cleveland Cavaliers guards Tyler Kolek #13 of the New York Knicks during the second quarter at Rocket Arena on April 02, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Reporters attempted to get some information out of Cleveland’s head coach, Kenny Atkinson, regarding the status of the veteran.

Unfortunately, the Cavaliers are still evaluating the situation.

via Danny Cunningham, Locked on Cavs: Kenny Atkinson didn’t have an update on Sam Merrill’s hamstring.

The Cavaliers ruled Merrill out after he checked into the gam for just six minutes of action. With such a short amount of time on the court, the veteran guard registered just one assist as his lone stat for the game.

Questions Moving Forward For The Cavs

GettyCleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill left Tuesday night’s Game 1 matchup against the Detroit Pistons with a hamstring injury.

Hamstring injuries can be tricky, and that’s an unfortunate development for Merrill.

Since the Cavaliers opened their playoff run against the Toronto Raptors, Merrill has appeared in every game off the bench. The veteran was shooting 43.2% from the field and hitting on 37.9% of his threes, producing 7.6 points per game.

Throughout the regular season, the 29-year-old guard started in 38 games for the Cavs. He appeared in a total of 52 matchups. Seeing the court for 26.5 minutes per game, Merrill has averaged 12.8 points, while shooting 42.1% from three, on 7.2 attempts per game.

There’s a chance the Cavaliers could be without Merrill in Game 2. The team has yet to drop an official update on the veteran.

The Cavaliers and the Pistons are scheduled for a 7 PM ET tip on Thursday, May 7.