Cavaliers Lose Starter To Injury; Pressure Mounts To Land Free-Agent Target

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – MARCH 23: Max Strus #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks on during the first half of a game against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center on March 23, 2025 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)

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Cleveland Cavaliers wing Max Strus recently underwent surgery to address a Jones fracture in his left foot, per ESPN’s Shams Charania. He sustained the injury during an offseason workout.

The projected timetable for Strus’s recovery is approximately three to four months. That’s for when he can return to basketball activities. The four-month mark will be right around Christmas.

Strus didn’t debut in the 2024-25 campaign until late December due to offseason foot surgery. The six-year veteran started in 37 of the 50 games he appeared in. He has been a first-unit fixture in 107 of 120 tilts in his two-year tenure with the Cavaliers.

The six-foot-five wing averaged 9.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 25.5 minutes of playing time last season. Strus also converted on 38.6 percent of the 5.9 three-point attempts he hoisted.

A Jones fracture is a break in the fifth metatarsal. That’s the bone connecting the pinkie toe to the base of the foot.

Strus’s injury puts pressure on Cavaliers’ free-agent pursuit

Cleveland is among the teams vying for free agent Malik Beasley. After losing one sharpshooter for the first handful of months to open the upcoming campaign, landing another would cushion the blow.

If that doesn’t happen, the Cavaliers can lean on their internal options. De’Andre Hunter is likely the leading candidate to start in Strus’s absence. Sam Merril, Dean Wade, and Jaylon Tyson, their 2024 first-round draft pick, would also figure to see their minutes go up while Strus is rehabbing.

It’s a good thing Cleveland can feel comfortable about trusting its depth. The Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, and Minnesota Timberwolves have also registered interest in signing Beasley.

The 28-year-old is no longer a target of a federal gambling investigation. That development ignited the market for the nine-year veteran’s services.

However, while the Knicks and Cavaliers can offer Beasley the veteran minimum, the Pistons can retain him for $7.2 million. His success in “The Motor City” last season is another incentive for him to return.

The six-foot-four wing averaged 16.3 points in the 2024-25 campaign. The former Florida State star knocked down 319 threes, the second-most in the regular season. He buried an average of 3.9 attempts from behind the arc. That was the third-most in the league.

Detroit’s acquisition of Duncan Robinson, Caris LeVert, and Javonte Green could persuade Beasley to sign elsewhere, though. The Knicks and Timberwolves represent enticing opportunities. And another suitor could enter the mix.

However, if he has a new NBA home this season, perhaps Strus’s injury plays a role in convincing him that the Eastern Conference contender he should join is the Cleveland Cavaliers.