Sam Merrill just signed a significant new deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and now he has to earn it night after night.
Speaking on the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, Chris Fedor talked about the pressure that is on Merrill’s shoulders.
The team is paying him a substantial sum of money because they value him, but also because they want a lot out of him.
“I think there’s a lot of pressure on Sam here. I don’t want to say that he’s on the hot seat necessarily because he did just get this new contract and that was the Cavs showing how much faith and belief they have in him. But like he’s never been looked at as this kind of player before and now all of a sudden he’s Sam Merrill who’s making $9 million a year as opposed to Sam Merrill who’s on this cheap $2 million contract where anything that he would give the Cavs at that salary figure is almost a luxury or a huge bonus right now. If you’re making nine, $10 million a year on a team with championship aspirations, you better be a consistent every night rotation player that brings it in a positive way and makes a positive impact,” Fedor said.
Last season, Merrill produced 7.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists on 40.6 percent from the floor and 37.2 percent from the three-point line.
It’s important to note that he played just 19.7 minutes per game, so he is a fairly productive player.
However, many of his numbers dipped down a bit from the season before, which is a slight cause for concern.
The Cavaliers weren’t too worried because they gave Merrill a new deal just a few weeks ago.
That means that Merrill will remain in Cleveland, but the team will continue to ask a lot of him.
His new contract should give Merrill a boost of confidence.
His team has faith in him, but now he has to deliver.
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