The Cleveland Cavaliers are still keen on shedding salary to gain more financial flexibility even after recently trading away Denis Schroder. As reported by Marc Stein, “Cleveland remains in active search of a trade to send out Max Strus as Strus enters the final year of his current contract.”
Strus is entering the final year of his current deal with the Cavaliers earning $16.7 million in 2026-27. Strus spent the bulk of this past season on the shelf due to a Jones fracture he suffered before training camp.
Strus suited up for 12 regular season games, including his debut, where he went 7-9 shooting (6-7 from three), ending with 24 points and eight rebounds in 23 minutes.
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With the trade of Schroder on Friday, the Cavaliers were able to shave $6.8 million off their books for next season. Finding a buyer for Strus could require attaching draft capital, given the amount owed to him next season.
While it is a one-year rental, deals like this are harder to accomplish in the NBA’s apron era. Teams are more hesitant to take on any form of sizeable salary as each apron offers less roster flexibility and prevents an ability to be liquid with their current assets.
While Strus is far from a player teams would view solely as a salary hold, the salary size is notable enough to give certain teams pause. Strus is still a very capable scorer in the league and a great locker-room presence. Cleveland would definitely feel the absence of Strus’s presence on and off the court. However, according to Stein, the Cavs are looking to create the flexibility to acquire either Jonathan Kuminga or Peyton Watson.
The active search would imply the Cavaliers are still proceeding with this approach. The question now is how much the Cavaliers will have to attach or take back from a potential trade partner to clear up the necessary space to pursue a starting small forward.