The Cavaliers are staring down a second-apron problem, and Max Strus looks like the kind of player who could get caught in the squeeze.
For now, Cleveland should be fine this season. After that, the picture gets a lot messier.
Strus is set to make $16.7 million this upcoming season, and it’s the final year of his deal. That makes him an obvious trade candidate if the Cavs believe he could become a casualty of the second apron down the line.
On paper, moving an expiring contract like Strus’ should be manageable. In reality, teams can be reluctant to take on salary, which makes these deals tougher than they look. Still, in the right buy-now situation, his contract could be a valuable piece.
That’s why Cleveland needs to keep looking for a way to turn Strus’ expiring money into help on either end of the floor this season.
The Cavaliers also missed out on LeBron James this summer, a blow that changes the way their season looks. Had they landed him, they would have been a top contender in the Eastern Conference. Instead, he went to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Without that kind of addition, Cleveland may be stuck in the middle while several Eastern Conference teams improved and the Cavaliers stood mostly still. A Strus deal could be one way to change that.
The right trade might not be there yet, but it could surface by the deadline. Even if it doesn’t, Strus should still be available if the Cavs decide they won’t re-sign him next summer.
That possibility matters because of how close Cleveland is to the second apron. If the team doesn’t expect to bring Strus back, it almost has to move him rather than let him walk in free agency for nothing, unless the market truly comes up empty.
And there should be no shortage of teams willing to sell. Clubs looking for draft picks and salary relief could see Strus as a useful piece, since his deal comes off the books after this season.
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