LeBron James isn’t headed back to the Los Angeles Lakers in unrestricted free agency, and that opens the door to a very different kind of summer chess match. Dallas could still be in the mix for James at the right price, but the more practical move for the Mavericks may be to help Cleveland clear the runway for its own LeBron pursuit.
That’s where Max Strus enters the picture.
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, "amid LeBron James' impending exit from Los Angeles, sources say the Cavaliers have held ongoing trade conversations regarding veterans Max Strus and Dennis Schröder, which could help Cleveland free the space to add James." The Cavs have real interest in bringing James back, but before that dream can become reality, they need to create room to make it happen.
Dallas has a tool that could make that possible: a trade exception from the Anthony Davis deal. That exception could absorb either Strus or Schröder, but if the Mavericks are looking at the bigger basketball fit, Strus is the cleaner target.
The reasoning is simple. Dallas still needs shooting, and Strus brings exactly that.
The 6-foot-5 wing averaged 11.2 points per game last season and shot 40.2 percent from three on 6.8 attempts. That’s the kind of volume and confidence the Mavericks can use.
He’s the type of player who keeps firing when the ball finds him, and his movement without the ball is what creates plenty of those chances. He isn’t building a long-range game off the dribble, but he absolutely punishes defenses that lose track of him.
He also brings a high motor and isn’t afraid of the moment, which only adds to the appeal.
There’s another layer here, too. If Cleveland wants Dallas to take on Strus’ contract without sending matching salary back, the Cavaliers may have to sweeten the deal with draft capital.
Strus is in the final year of a four-year, $62.3 million contract, and the Cavs could use second-round picks, first-round picks, or even pick swaps to get the Mavericks to bite. That would give Dallas added value for taking on the contract and help Cleveland create the flexibility it needs.
Schröder has two years left on his deal, but this is the kind of move where Strus makes the most sense for the Mavs.
And if all of it helps Cleveland land James, that’s the kind of domino effect that would make the whole thing feel worth it. James averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game in his 23rd season last year, and a return to the team he spent 11 seasons with would be a storybook ending. If Dallas can land a sharp-shooting role player and a draft asset while helping make that happen, everybody walks away with something.
In Other News...
Mavericks Suddenly Linked To A Trade Target Fans Have Been Waiting For
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The intrigue is not just in the name or the position, but in how many different ways the talks could be structured if the Mavericks decide to push. Some of the frameworks being discussed would involve established rotation pieces and future assets, and there is also a local hook here for Dallas fans who have followed this players path closely from the start. For now, it is still the sort of rumor that can move quickly once the phone lines really open. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Just Made Two Telling Calls On Their Young Core
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Moussa Cisse also remains part of the conversation after Dallas extended a qualifying offer that makes the big man a restricted free agent, giving the Mavericks control over how far any outside interest can go. Taken together, the moves suggest Dallas is not just shopping for established help around its new regime, but also trying to identify which young players fit the long-term plan, even as the bigger roster picture continues to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Could Target Key Former Luka Teammate In New Dallas Twist
LeBron James decision to move on after the 2026-27 season has already changed the shape of the Lakers future, and it puts Luka Doncic at the center of everything they do next. With Los Angeles preparing to rebuild around Doncic, the search for familiar, complementary pieces is underway, and one name that has come up is P.J. Washington, the versatile forward who spent time alongside Doncic in Dallas.
Washington remains under contract with the Mavericks, so any move would depend on Dallas own plans as it retools around Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving. Still, the idea has some logic for the Lakers, who know Washington can fit in a supporting role and have seen him succeed in a Doncic-led system before. Whether Dallas is willing to make that kind of shift is the part that still hangs in the air. [Read more 🡒]