The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired Max Strus via a sign-and-trade involving the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs. Cleveland sent over Cedi Osman and Lamar Stevens to San Antonio, Miami sent Max Stus to the Cavs, and the Spurs sent draft assets to the Heat. The question is, what role will Max Stus play for the Cleveland Cavaliers?
Will Stus Be A Starter?
Status is being considered for a spot in the starting line-up in Cleveland, but he may end up being a bench scorer. “The Cavs believe the 6-foot-5 Strus can either start at small forward, or play a lot coming off the bench,” wrote Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com. That’s up to coach J.B. Bickerstaff. Either way, Strus is viewed as a possible starter. He started all of Miami’s 41 playoff games in the last two seasons. The Cavs value his playoff experience and coming from the gritty defensive culture of the Miami Heat.” according to CavaliersNation.com.
Max Strus fills a big void for the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs desperately needed a consistent shooter and it does not get much more consistent than Max Strus. With the addition of Stus and Cleveland retaining Caris LeVert on a new 2-year deal, Cleveland is fixing their weaknesses.
Max Stus has increased his scoring numbers in each of his four NBA seasons. He posted a career-high 11.5 points per game last season as he helped the Miami Heat rewatch the NBA Finals. If Stus does make his way into the starting line-up in Cleveland he will be an upgrade from Isaac Okoro. Okoro has shown improvement in his offensive game but he just is not there yet.
A Long-term Contract
Status got a four-year $63 million contract as a part of the sign-and-trade so he will be a Cavalier for a while it seems. This fits well with Celvelands’ core who are all locked into long-term deals. The Cleveland Cavaliers have made solid moves so far this off-season. With how young this Cavs team is their window seems to just be opening. They have the opportunity to be good for a long time.
It will be very interesting to see what other moves the Cavaliers will make as some rumors are surrounding starting center Jarrett Allen. Allen had a rough series against the New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs. The Cavaliers lost that series in five games. Will they bounce back this year? Only time will tell but for now, we are all focused on improving this team.
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