Cavaliers re-sign Merrill; Nance back for 2nd stint

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers will have a pair of familiar players back next season. The Cavs announced Sunday they have re-signed Sam Merrill to a four-year contract and brought back Larry Nance Jr. for a second stint on a one-year deal. Cleveland's acquisition of Lonzo Ball from the Chicago Bulls for Isaac Okoro was also made official on the first day of the signing period. Merrill averaged 7.2 points and made 137 3-pointers in 71 games last season. The fifth-year guard had 27 points and nine 3s on Feb. 2 at Dallas. Merrill was the final pick in the 2020 draft by New Orleans before joining the Cavaliers in March 2023. Retaining Merrill became a priority after Ty Jerome agreed to deal with Memphis. Nance spent parts of four seasons with the Cavs from 2018 through 2021. He appeared in 182 games, including 76 starts, and averaged 9.5 points and 7.5 rebounds. The 6-foot-8 forward/center also was part of Cleveland's last NBA Finals team in 2018. Nance played for Atlanta last season and averaged 8.5 points and 4.3 rebounds in 24 games with three starts. He was the 27th overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2015 NBA draft, and has also been with Portland and New Orleans during his 10-year career. The Nances are one of only two families in NBA history to have three members play for the same franchise. Larry Nance Sr. was with Cleveland from 1988-94 and Pete Nance played there from 2023-24. Nance Jr. will again wear No. 22 with the Cavs, the same number worn by his father, which was retired in 1995. Ball gives Cleveland a veteran point guard. Darius Garland is likely to miss the start of the regular season after undergoing surgery on his left big toe earlier this month. Ball averaged 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 35 games this past season after missing the 2022-23 and 2023-24 campaigns because of a left knee injury. The 27-year old Ball underwent a meniscus and cartilage transplant in his left knee in March 2023 after two surgeries failed to fix an injury he suffered during his first season in Chicago in 2021-22. He has one year remaining on his contract with a team option for the 2026-27 season.