Strus posted 22 points (9-16 FG, 4-10 3Pt), five rebounds, five assists and one steal across 38 minutes during Saturday's 110-101 win over the Pistons.
Strus' production has been a bit of a rollercoaster lately, although there have been far more ups than downs this season. Strus is on pace to return fifth-round fantasy value in nine-category leagues with averages of 14.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 2.9 three-pointers on 43.9 percent shooting from the field and 82.6 percent from the charity stripe.
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Cavaliers' Max Strus: Puts up 20 points
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Strus recorded 20 points (8-16 FG, 4-9 3Pt), 11 rebounds, five assists and one block in 37 minutes during Sunday's 105-102 victory over the Raptors.
This line is particularly impressive considering the Cavaliers were at full strength Sunday, as Darius Garland played through a neck strain and Donovan Mitchell played in both games of this back-to-back set. Strus is known for his elite three-point shooting, but his playmaking ability has turned a lot of heads recently. He is averaging 3.8 assists per game this season and has recorded at least five assists in five of 17 games.
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Cavaliers' Max Strus: Puts up 20 points in OT win
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Strus contributed 20 points (7-15 FG, 5-10 3Pt, 1-2 FT), five rebounds, six assists, one block and two steals in 44 minutes during Tuesday's 122-119 overtime win over the 76ers.
Strus has been stepping his game up with Donovan Mitchell (hamstring) sidelined for the last few games, and he has embraced the more prominent role by attempting double-digit shots in four of his previous five appearances. He's averaging 16.4 points per game while shooting 42.5 percent from deep in that span. His starting role is set in stone, but he's expected to regress in scoring once Mitchell is back in the mix.
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Cavaliers' Max Strus: Busy hands in Friday's win
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Strus posted 18 points (7-15 FG, 4-8 3Pt), seven rebounds, three assists, one block and four steals across 39 minutes during Friday's 108-100 victory over the Pistons.
The four steals were a season high for Strus, who has quickly become a key secondary contributor for the Cavaliers since coming over from the Heat in the offseason. The 27-year-old forward has scored in double digits in seven straight games, averaging 14.9 points, 5.0 boards, 3.6 assists, 2.9 threes and 1.3 steals over that stretch while shooting 50.6 percent from the floor and 40.8 percent from beyond the arc.
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Cavaliers' Max Strus: Doles out seven assists
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Strus finished with 14 points (5-12 FG, 1-7 3Pt, 3-3 FT), seven assists, three rebounds and one steal across 37 minutes in Wednesday's 109-95 win over the Trail Blazers.
With Darius Garland (neck) sidelined Wednesday, Strus stepped in to fill some of the playmaking void and set a new season high in assists in the process. He was prone to some sloppiness, however, as Strus also turned the ball over five times. Strus' assist counts will likely trend down whenever Garland returns to the lineup, but the former should be worthy of a back-end roster spot in most 12-team leagues while he continues to receive 30-plus minutes on a nightly basis. In shallower leagues, Strus can be viewed as a strong streaming option for three-pointers, as he's averaging 2.7 per game through 11 appearances.
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Cavaliers' Max Strus: Drills five threes in loss
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Strus racked up 19 points (7-12 FG, 5-9 3Pt), five rebounds, four assists and one steal in 34 minutes during Monday's 132-120 loss to Sacramento.
Strus' proficiency from long range is well-documented, and he flexed that muscle once again during Monday's loss. He's averaging a career-high 7.9 three-point attempts per game with his new team, mostly due to his first opportunity as a full-time starter.
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Cavaliers' Max Strus: Sharp shooting in victory
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Strus notched 16 points (6-9 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT), eight rebounds, four assists and one steal across 33 minutes during Saturday's 118-110 win over Golden State.
Strus got most of his shots to fall and logged a solid secondary contribution in the win. Getting 30-plus minutes on a regular basis has been a luxury since joining the Cavs, as his usage with the Heat would vary game-by-game. He's still being used as the starting option over Caris LeVert, who is going off as the team's sixth man.
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Cavaliers' Max Strus: Plays well in win
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Strus recorded 15 points (6-13 FG, 3-10 3Pt), four rebounds, four assists and one steal over 36 minutes during Sunday's 115-104 victory over Golden State.
Strus submitted another impressive line, especially considering that the Cavaliers are healthy for the first time this season. Strus has started all seven games thus far, compiling averages of 13.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.6 three-pointers.
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Cavaliers' Max Strus: Notches double-double in loss
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Strus ended Saturday's 125-113 loss to the Pacers with 21 points (7-20 FG, 4-9 3Pt, 3-3 FT), 11 rebounds and six assists in 42 minutes.
Strus didn't have a particularly efficient shooting night but was able to contribute on the boards and as a distributor while limiting his turnovers. His 42 minutes played were his most of the season, and it seems like he'll see a lot of playing time with his new team.
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Cavaliers' Max Strus: Big night in Cavs debut
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Strus finished Wednesday's 114-113 win over Brooklyn with 27 points (9-17 FG, 7-13 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 12 rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal over 39 minutes.
Shifting into a frontcourt role with Jarrett Allen (ankle) unavailable for Cleveland's season opener, Strus made an immediate impact for his new club as he led the Cavs in boards and threes while tying Donovan Mitchell for the team lead in scoring. Strus didn't post numbers anything close to this on average in Miami, and while he likely won't maintain quite this pace, a career-best campaign could be in the works as he provides a strong complementary piece behind Mitchell and Evan Mobley.
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Cavaliers' Max Strus: Returns to lineup
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Strus (rest) is in the starting five for Friday's preseason game versus the Pacers, Serena Winters of Bally Sports Cleveland reports.
Strus is set to play in Cleveland's preseason finale after missing the previous game for rest purposes. Strus is in line to be the Cavaliers' starting small forward this season.
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Cavaliers' Max Strus: Won't play Monday
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Strus has been ruled out for Monday's game against Israeli club Maccabi Ra'anana for rest purposes, Chris Fedor of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Strus will get a night off for Cleveland's penultimate preseason game, along with the rest of the team's starters. However, the Cavaliers plan to use the first three quarters of Friday's preseason finale as a dress rehearsal, so Strus should have an opportunity to see considerable playing time.
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Cavaliers' Max Strus: Active in loss
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Strus delivered 13 points (4-8 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 2-2 FT), six rebounds, five assists and one steal in 24 minutes of action during Thursday's 108-105 preseason loss to Orlando.
Strus also logged five turnovers and four fouls. Strus is on track to be Cleveland's starting small forward, but at just 6-foot-5, he could be taxed when facing bigger wings. Nonetheless, the sharpshooter should be a smooth fit offensively during his first season with the Cavaliers.
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Cavaliers' Max Strus: Expects to start this year
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Strus said Monday that he expects to serve as a starter to begin the 2023-24 campaign, Evan Dammarell of FearTheSword.com reports.
Strus was traded from the Heat to the Cavaliers at the beginning of July after starting in 33 of 80 appearances with Miami last year. Although the Cavaliers also have Isaac Okoro and Caris LeVert on the wing, Strus has a strong case for a starting role after averaging 11.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 28.4 minutes per game during the 2022-23 season.
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Heat's Max Strus: Dealt to Cleveland
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The Cavaliers signed Strus to a four-year, $63 million sign-and-trade in a three-team deal with the Heat and Spurs on Saturday, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
In the trade, the Heat receive a second-round pick and the Spurs obtain Cedi Osman, Lamar Stevens and a second-round pick. Strus averaged 11.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 28.4 minutes across 80 games in 2022-23 on 41.0/35.0/87.6 shooting splits for Miami. Strus will likely compete for a starting job at small forward, and the Cavaliers will hope his outside shooting reverts to his 2021-22 campaign, when he converted on 41.0 percent of his 6.5 three-point attempts per contest.
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Heat's Max Strus: Struggles from deep in Game 5
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Strus finished with 12 points (5-12 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 1-1 FT), eight rebounds, one assist and one block in 32 minutes during Monday's 94-89 loss to Denver in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
Strus shot just 23.3 percent from the field and 18.8 percent from deep during the Finals. It was a disappointing end for the sharpshooter, who had been a steady contributor during Miami's first three playoff series (10.3 points with 45/35/81 shooting splits). The undrafted product out of DePaul is set to be a free agent this summer, but it wouldn't be surprising if the two sides had mutual interest in a return.
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Heat's Max Strus: Lights it up from long range in win
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Strus chipped in 14 points (4-10 FG, 4-10 3Pt, 2-3 FT), two rebounds, six assists and one block in 29 minutes during Sunday's 111-108 win over Denver in Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
After going a dreadful 0-for-9 beyond the arc in Game 1, Strus' stroke caught fire in the second game of the series. Strus joined Duncan Robinson as part of a scoring barrage that erased Denver's huge advantage heading into the final stanza. Caleb Martin had stolen a bit of Strus' thunder throughout the playoffs, but with Martin a step slower in Game 2 due to a non-COVID illness, Strus played 29 minutes and picked up the slack. Strus was the hero of the play-in bracket with eight threes in the win over the Bulls, and he can be dangerous if his shot is dialed in.
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Heat's Max Strus: Scores in double figures
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Strus posted 10 points (3-8 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 2-3 FT), one rebound and three assists in 25 minutes during Saturday's 104-103 loss to the Celtics in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
After totaling just 12 points over the previous two matchups, Strus found his shooting stroke again and scored in double figures for the fourth time during the Eastern Conference Finals. Across 17 postseason matchups thus far, the undrafted product out of DePaul has averaged 10.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 29.0 minutes per game.
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Heat's Max Strus: Provides spark in comeback win
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Strus notched 15 points (6-10 FG, 3-5 3Pt) and three rebounds across 34 minutes during Wednesday's 123-116 win over the Celtics in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Strus finished as one of four Heat starters with 15 or more points in Wednesday's Game 1 win, notching 13 of his 15 points in the second half to help fuel the second-half comeback for Miami. Strus has connected on three or more threes in seven of his 12 playoff appearances while surpassing the 15-point mark in four contests.
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Heat's Max Strus: Leads from deep in 16-point game
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Strus closed Monday's 109-101 victory over the Knicks in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals with 16 points (6-13 FG, 4-10 3Pt), six rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal over 37 minutes.
Strus connected on a team-high mark from three while finishing as one of three Heat starters with 15 or more points in Monday's Game 4 win. Strus has finished with at least 15 points with three or more threes in three straight games.
