Max Strus makes sense for the Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers may be wise to go after Miami Heat guard/forward Max Strus.

The Cleveland Cavaliers need someone they can stick on the perimeter of their starting five who can jack up a three-pointer every now and then. To get someone like this with the funds they have available is possible but it means that you’ll likely have to give up something like size or defense. Someone who is big, plays defense, and can shoot well are not common in the league. They’re desired and sought after but usually, when you’re looking for a fourth or fifth starter, you’re looking for them to do one key thing.

For instance, last season it was Isaac Okoro and his defense. He wasn’t a very big player, nor could he shoot well, but he was a heck of a defender. His play helped push the Cavs to the top of the league in defense, boasting the best squad in the league for 82 games. That defense didn’t help things much against the New York Knicks in the opening round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs.

Ideally, you’d upgrade the position with a player who can do everything, but the Cavs lack the finances and the draft capital to get a player like that. So now the Cavs have to sacrifice defense for shooting. Enter Max Strus.

Max Strus may be the best all-around player the Cleveland Cavaliers could get

Strus isn’t the best defender on the planet. He’s a net-negative defender for the Heat and as they’re a very defensive-minded team, that should give Cavs fans what to expect from him going forward. The team won’t get much out of him defensively but he’ll be a huge upgrade over Okoro, at least when it comes to scoring.

He’s usually a positive on that end of the floor, though the rough start for the Heat did see him struggle to maintain his 2021-2022 OBPM. That said, he’s still a solid shooter who would be a massive upgrade for the Cavs.

His career shooting splits are solid, .427/.371/.820. He also has a true shooting percentage of .583 for his career, which is just slightly above the league average. Strus isn’t going to turn into Steph Curry but he’s going to be a solid upgrade as a starter as far as scoring goes. Something the Cavs desperately need.

Now, on his own, that would be a lackluster offseason, so the Cavs still have to do some work to improve the roster beyond just adding someone like Strus.