CLEVELAND — Don’t count out Max Strus as a factor for the 2025-26 Cavaliers.
Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said on Feb. 19 he expects Strus to play in the regular season.
Strus has yet to appear in a game this season after undergoing surgery on Aug. 26 to repair a Jones Fracture (fifth metatarsal) in his left foot, an injury he suffered during offseason training. On Jan. 6, the Cavs announced further evaluation and imaging on Strus’ left foot revealed additional time would be required for the fracture to fully heal.
Atkinson said Strus has been participating in recent on-court workouts without taking contact.
Heading into a home game on Feb. 19 against the Brooklyn Nets (15-38), the Cavs (34-21) had 27 regular-season games left. During Atkinson’s pregame media availability, the coach did not specify a minimum number of games the franchise would like Strus to play before the postseason begins in April.
“Listen, getting Max back at any time before the playoffs would be a huge bonus,” Atkinson said. “I mean, he missed a ton of time last year, right, with the ankle. He’s not 22, right? A guy with that experience and the way he works in the weight room, I think the goal is just to, of course, you’d love to have a little runway where he gets his rhythm, but as long as we kind of get him for the playoff run, I think that’s a win for us. He’s got so much experience. Obviously, he had a really good playoffs last year. So, like I said the other day, looking at his on-court work, it’s trending much more positive, but still a ways to go.”
Max Strus stats
A starting small forward for the Cavs the past two seasons, Strus played 50 regular-season games in 2024-25 and averaged 9.4 points on 44.2% shooting from the field (38.6% on 3-pointers), 4.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 25.5 minutes. In the playoffs, Strus played all nine games and averaged 11.7 points on 41.6% shooting from the field (38.8% on 3-pointers), 5.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 28.1 minutes.
The 29-year-old Strus suffered a right ankle sprain on Oct. 17, 2024, during individual workouts. He missed Cleveland’s first 27 regular-season games and returned to action on Dec. 20, 2024. Strus went on to play a pivotal role for the Cavs, who earned the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 playoff seed with a record of 64-18 before their disappointing second-round postseason loss to the Indiana Pacers.
Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavaliers’ Max Strus expected to return during 2025-26 regular season
Reporting by Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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