Hoops notebook: WSU’s Threatt gets NBA chance with Bucks; Merrill makes history with Cavs
-
- Weber State’s Blaise Threatt (0) smiles late in a win over Sacramento State on Saturday, March 8, 2025, in the first round of the Big Sky tournament at Idaho Central Arena in Boise, Idaho.
-
- Cleveland guard Sam Merrill (5) handles the ball against Memphis guard Luke Kennard (10) in an NBA game March 14, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn.
-
- Weber State guard Blaise Threatt (0) drives against Utah Valley on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, at the Dee Events Center in Ogden.
-
- Cleveland guard Sam Merrill (5) shoots against Memphis in an NBA game March 14, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn.
Another Weber State men’s basketball alum got the call to suit up for an NBA team and take his first shot professionally.
Blaise Threatt will play for the Milwaukee Bucks in NBA Summer League, WSU announced Saturday. Threatt will head to Las Vegas next month looking to earn a spot, perhaps with the Bucks’ G League squad, or gain better exposure for an overseas deal.
Threatt played two seasons at Weber State. As a senior in the 2024-25 season, he averaged 20 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists and a Big Sky-best 1.9 steals per game. The native of Scottsdale, Arizona, is the son of former NBA veteran Sedale Threatt and spent three seasons (originally as a walk-on) at Division II Colorado Mesa.
Milwaukee’s first Summer League game is at 7:30 p.m. MDT Thursday, July 10, playing Denver on NBA TV. The Bucks’ fourth game, coming against Chicago at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 16, is set for ESPN2.
Weber State alums who’ve had the chance to play in NBA Summer League have typically had notable showings.
Last year in Salt Lake City, Dillon Jones totaled nine points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in his summer debut with the Thunder. The next night, he scored 15 points in the first 10 1/2 minutes against the Jazz, highlights included, and finished with 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, WSU scoring king Jerrick Harding didn’t get his first NBA-related look until 2022 summer league. Playing for Dallas, Harding’s first chunk of big of playing time saw him score 12 first-quarter points over a span of 5:34 and finish with 18 points in 23 minutes. The next time out, Harding totaled 20 points, five rebounds and five assists in another 23 minutes.
After two seasons in the Czech Republic, Harding’s summer league helped him land a spot in Spain’s ACB, often considered the best national pro league outside the NBA. In 2024-25, his fifth professional season, Harding led ACB in scoring at 20 points per game with Andorra.
In 2016, WSU rebound king Joel Bolomboy averaged 9.5 points and 7.5 rebounds over six summer league games with the Jazz. He’d become an NBA D League All-Star in 2017, spend a season each with Utah and Milwaukee, and has since wrapped up seven seasons overseas, most recently averaging 8.9 points and 6.9 rebounds over 37 games with Crvena Zvezda in Serbia.
And most famously, in 2012, Damian Lillard led the Vegas Summer League in scoring at 26.5 points per game over four contests. He added 5.3 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game while shooting 37.9% from 3.
MERRILL STAYING IN CLEVELAND
Bountiful native and Utah State alum Sam Merrill had put together a solid NBA career through five seasons, becoming an important piece for the rising Cleveland Cavaliers while earning about $7.6 million.
He got a big boost Saturday with multiple outlets reporting Merrill will stay in Cleveland with a four-year, $38 million contract. Hoops Hype reports the contract will make Merrill the highest-paid No. 60 draft pick in NBA history.
At 28, Merrill played 71 games for Cleveland in the 2024-25 season, a team that led the Eastern Conference with a 64-18 record. In the last two seasons in the Cavs’ rotation, he’s averaged 7.5 points per game while shooting 38.8% from the 3-point line. In a February game against Dallas, Merrill flamed the Mavs for 27 points by shooting 9 of 13 from distance.
