Strus logged 24 points (7-9 FG, 6-7 3Pt, 4-4 FT), eight rebounds and one assist in 23 minutes during Sunday's 130-120 loss to the Mavericks.
Strus made his 2025-26 regular-season debut in front of a home crowd Sunday, nearly eight months after undergoing surgery to repair a Jones fracture in his left foot. He checked in at 4:53 mark of the first quarter and promptly got to work, nailing each of his first three attempts from beyond the arc. Strus scored an additional eight points on three of four field-goal attempts and finished as the Cavaliers' second-leading scorer behind Donovan Mitchell (26 points). It was a promising performance out of Strus, who played past his initial minutes restriction slightly (23). His return gives the Cavs a significant boost as they contend with the Celtics, Knicks and Magic for seeding in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
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Cavaliers' Max Strus: Available to play
Rotowire
Strus (foot) is available to make his regular-season debut Sunday versus the Mavericks.
Per Danny Cunningham of Sports Radio 92.3 The Fan Cleveland, head coach Kenny Atkinson said that Strus will be limited to minutes in the low 20s in his first game of the season, so he's not a great target in daily fantasy leagues. With Strus in the mix, Keon Ellis' minutes could dip.
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Cavaliers' Max Strus: Ruled out for Friday
Rotowire
Strus (foot) is out for Friday's game against Dallas.
Strus is ramping up for his season debut, logging multiple practice sessions with the G League's Cleveland Charge, but he's not yet ready for game action due to offseason left foot surgery. His next chance to make his first appearance of the campaign arrives in Cleveland on Sunday, when the Cavaliers meet the Mavericks once again.
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Cavaliers' Max Strus: Returns after G League practice
Rotowire
The Cavaliers recalled Strus from the G League's Cleveland Charge on Thursday.
After practicing with the G League club Wednesday for the second time in three days, Strus appears to be moving closer to making his season debut. The Cavaliers are currently in the midst of a two-game road trip that concludes Friday in Dallas, and while Strus would appear unlikely to meet up with the team for that game, he may have a more realistic chance at playing in Sunday's rematch with the Mavericks in Cleveland. Whenever he's cleared to play, Strus is likely to have his minutes managed carefully coming off August surgery to address a Jones fracture in his left foot.
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Cavaliers' Max Strus: Practicing in G League again
Rotowire
The Cavaliers assigned Strus to the G League's Cleveland Charge to take part in practice Wednesday.
For the second time in three days, Strus will take part in on-court work with the G League club as he continues to work his way back from left foot surgery, which he underwent back in August. Strus won't join the Cavaliers for the start of their two-game road trip Wednesday in Orlando and would appear unlikely to join the team for Friday's game in Dallas, but if he continues to respond well to practice, he could make his season debut soon thereafter.
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Cavaliers' Max Strus: Ruled out for Wednesday
Rotowire
Strus (foot) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Magic.
Strus is still recovering from left foot surgery he underwent in August, though he appears to be nearing a return to action after practicing with the Cavaliers' G League affiliate Monday. The 29-year-old wing's next opportunity to suit up will come Friday in Dallas.
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Cavaliers' Max Strus: Recalled after G League practice
Rotowire
The Cavaliers recalled Strus from the G League's Cleveland Charge after he practiced with the affiliate Monday.
Strus has been sidelined all season while recovering from August surgery to repair a Jones fracture in his left foot, but he's expected to be cleared to play at some point within the next week, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic. The 29-year-old wing took a big step forward in his recovery process by practicing in the G League on Monday, and he may just need to get another session or two under his belt before the Cavaliers give him the green light to play. Whenever he's formally cleared to play, Strus will likely be operating with a significant minutes restriction.
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Cavaliers' Max Strus: Ramping up, nearing debut
Rotowire
The Cavaliers assigned Strus to the G League's Cleveland Charge on Monday.
Strus will remain out Monday for the Cavaliers' matchup with the 76ers, but his assignment to the G League signals that he's drawing closer to making his 2025-26 debut. The veteran wing will likely rejoin the parent club after practicing with the Charge on Monday, and if all goes well during the workout, he could be deemed ready to play at some point soon thereafter. Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson told Danny Cunningham of Sports Radio 92.3 The Fan Cleveland on Sunday that Strus still has to visit his doctor for one more checkup appointment before officially being cleared for game action.
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Cavaliers' Max Strus: Ready for on-court activity
Rotowire
Strus (foot) has been cleared for on-court workouts, per Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.com.
It's an important step forward for Strus, who's set to begin practicing soon as he recovers from offseason foot surgery. That said, the swingman remains without a definitive timeline for his season debut and figures to miss at least another week of play. Until Strus is finally cleared for game action, both Jaylon Tyson and Sam Merrill should remain worthy of streaming consideration in most fantasy formats.
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Cavaliers' Max Strus: Begins taking contact
Rotowire
Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson said that Strus (foot) is "really trending positive" in his recovery and took part in contact work with the coaching staff Tuesday, Danny Cunningham of Sports Radio 92.3 The Fan Cleveland reports.
Updates on Strus' status have been few and far between since he underwent surgery in late August to address a Jones fracture of his left foot, but Atkinson's comments offer some encouragement that the 29-year-old's 2025-26 debut could be on the horizon. Atkinson said last week that he fully anticipates Strus playing in games before the end of the regular season, but a more definitive target date for his return likely won't become clear until he takes part in full-contact scrimmaging with teammates. Strus will likely have his playing time monitored carefully once he's ready to play, but the career 36.8 percent three-point shooter will give the Cavaliers some extra floor spacing whenever he takes the court.
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Cavaliers' Max Strus: Return not imminent
Rotowire
Strus (foot) still hasn't been cleared for contact, Spencer Davies of ClutchPoints.com reports.
Strus is ramping up his activity amidst his recovery from offseason foot surgery, but it doesn't seem like he'll be ready for game action imminently. For now, the 29-year-old swingman can be deemed week-to-week. Until Strus is cleared to play, Jaylon Tyson remains worth holding in the majority of fantasy leagues.
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Cavaliers' Max Strus: To miss at least four more weeks
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Strus (foot) is expected to miss at least four more weeks, Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com reports Tuesday.
Strus hasn't yet made his season debut, and he needs even more time on the shelf to recover from offseason left foot surgery. It's unlikely the swingman will be ready to play until sometime in February at this point. In the meantime, Sam Merrill and Jaylon Tyson should continue helping fill out the minutes on the wing.
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Cavaliers' Max Strus: Still without timetable
Rotowire
Strus (foot) won't play Monday against the Hornets and remains without a timetable to return.
Strus underwent foot surgery back in August, and the Cavaliers have yet to provide an updated timetable for the sharpshooter. Until that happens, he can be considered week-to-week.
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Cavaliers' Max Strus: Remains out indefinitely
Rotowire
Strus (foot) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Bulls.
Strus underwent left foot surgery in August and remains without a timetable for a return. The 29-year-old forward should be considered week-to-week until the Cavaliers provide an update on his recovery.
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Cavaliers' Max Strus: Remains without timetable
Rotowire
Strus (foot) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Trail Blazers.
Strus underwent surgery on his fractured left foot in August and has yet to make his season debut. The 29-year-old forward can be considered week-to-week until Cleveland provides an updated timetable for his return to action.
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Cavaliers' Max Strus: Sheds walking boot
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Strus (foot) is no longer wearing a walking boot Tuesday but still has a lengthy recovery process ahead, Chris Fedor of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Strus underwent surgery on his fractured left foot on Aug. 26, with his expected recovery process being three to four months. De'Andre Hunter will likely see more time on the floor with Strus on the mend to start the upcoming 2025-26 season.
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Cavaliers' Max Strus: Goes scoreless in Game 5 loss
Rotowire
Strus closed Tuesday's 114-105 loss to Indiana in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals with zero points (0-9 FG, 0-6 3Pt), seven rebounds and two assists in 26 minutes.
Strus was nowhere to be seen, going scoreless in a game for the first time this season. While he was able to score at least 20 points on two separate occasions during the second-round matchup, Strus' inconsistency on the offensive end mirrored what he delivered during the regular season. After earning the top seed in the Eastern Conference, Cleveland will likely rue plenty of missed opportunities as it shifts its focus to the 2025-26 season.
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Cavaliers' Max Strus: Team-high six rebounds in loss
Rotowire
Strus racked up 11 points (4-9 FG, 3-7 3Pt), six rebounds, three assists and one steal in 22 minutes during Sunday's 129-109 loss to the Pacers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Strus played 22 minutes in the blowout loss in Game 4. Despite limited time on the floor, the DePaul product led the team in rebounds, along with Tristan Thompson, who also grabbed six boards. Strus is averaging 13.1 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in these NBA playoffs, shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 42.6 percent from deep.
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Cavaliers' Max Strus: Steps up in Game 2
Rotowire
Strus finished with 23 points (8-18 FG, 5-12 3Pt, 2-2 FT), eight rebounds and four assists over 39 minutes during Tuesday's 120-119 loss to the Pacers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The Cavaliers were without Darius Garland (toe), Evan Mobley (ankle) and De'Andre Hunter (thumb), so Strus soaked up a ton of usage in Game 2. However, it remains to be seen if any of those players will be able to give it a go during Game 3 on Friday in Indiana, with the Cavaliers already facing a 2-0 deficit.
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Cavaliers' Max Strus: Held in check
Rotowire
Strus had three points (1-6 FG, 1-4 3Pt), five rebounds, four assists and one steal across 21 minutes during Monday's 138-83 victory over Miami in Game 4 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
On a night in which the Cavaliers put up 138 points, Strus was one of the few players unable to capitalize. He's been solid in the postseason for the most part, to be fair, posting 11.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 0.8 steals and 3.0 three-pointers on 46.9 percent shooting through four games.
