Sam Merrill

Merrill is an American guard who reached the NBA as the last pick of the 2020 draft and immediately contributed to a championship run with the Milwaukee Bucks. A decorated collegiate scorer at Utah State, he brought clutch shooting and maturity to the professional ranks after a two-year religious mission.

Born Samuel Hoskins Merrill on May 15, 1996, he grew up in Bountiful, Utah, and attended Bountiful High School. He became a starter as a sophomore and averaged 6.5 points and 2.6 assists. As a junior, he averaged 18.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 2.2 steals and was named first-team all-state. As a senior, he posted 15.8 points, 7.4 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.3 steals and led Bountiful to a 4A state title. He committed to Utah State over Stanford and Princeton.

Before his freshman year, Merrill served a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Nicaragua. When he returned, Utah State had a new head coach in Tim Duryea. As a freshman, Merrill averaged 9.4 points. As a sophomore, he raised his average to 16.3 points and was named Third-team All-Mountain West.

As a junior, Merrill averaged 20.9 points, 4.2 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.1 steals, shooting 46.1 percent from the field, 37.6 percent from three, and 90.9 percent from the free throw line. He led Utah State to the Mountain West tournament championship and was named MWC Player of the Year, tournament MVP, and AP Honorable Mention All-American. He scored a career-high 38 points in an overtime win over Colorado State on March 5, 2019.

In his senior season opener, Merrill scored 28 points in a win over Montana State. He passed the 2,000-point mark on February 11, 2020, and finished with 32 points and five assists in a win over Colorado State. He was named First Team All-MWC and led Utah State to another MWC tournament title. In the final, he hit a game-winning three-pointer with 2.5 seconds remaining in a 59–56 upset of San Diego State. The NCAA Tournament was canceled shortly after due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The New Orleans Pelicans selected Merrill with the final pick of the 2020 NBA draft. On November 24, 2020, he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in a four-team deal. He played 30 regular-season games and eight playoff games for the Bucks, shooting 44.7 percent from three, and won the 2021 NBA championship. He has since played for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Merrill functions as a knockdown shooter with deep range, clutch shot-making, and underrated playmaking ability. His college trajectory, from post-mission freshman to conference Player of the Year, reflects steady improvement and mental toughness. In the NBA, his value centers on floor spacing, off-ball movement, and the ability to get hot quickly in limited minutes.