There’s a familiar face waiting in Los Angeles for the Clippers, and Max Strus is part of a Cleveland-to-LA overlap that already includes former Cavs coach Tyronn Lue.
The Clippers also reshaped their roster in a pair of moves that tied back to Cleveland. Darius Garland was brought in for James Harden at the deadline to make the team younger, and this offseason they attacked the wing spot by landing Brandon Ingram as the key piece in a Kawhi Leonard deal. They also got involved in the Cavs-Nuggets Peyton Watson trade to bring in Strus.
That reunion has one side buzzing. Garland didn’t hide how much he’s looking forward to having Strus back as a teammate when he spoke at Clippers Media Day.
“Yeah that’s my dog. Max is one of my favorite teammates I have had in my eight years in the league, so I’m super excited about getting back and reuniting with him. Really good floor spacer that can shoot the p**s out of the ball.”
The chemistry between the two was already established during their time with the Cavs, and it should carry over in Los Angeles. With Brandon Ingram likely out to begin the year and Bennedict Mathurin joining the Pelicans, Strus should have plenty of room to step into a major role. The Clippers are getting a player who brings energy and edge, and that matters.
Strus should fit cleanly on the wing next to Derrick Jones Jr. and Kris Dunn, giving the Clippers another active, disruptive presence. The Garland-Strus connection, meanwhile, figures to look just as natural as it did before.
For Cleveland, moving Strus wasn’t an easy call. He was popular inside the organization and with the fan base, and he delivered plenty over three seasons. The 20-10 debut against the Nets and the full-court winner against the Mavs are part of the highlight reel he left behind.
Last season, injuries kept him out for the first 67 games, and his absence made his value obvious. Still, the one thing Strus didn’t give the Cavs was size.
Watson brings the opposite: athleticism, length, and more physical presence. That should help Cleveland defensively and open up more lineup options than they had before.
James Harden has already filled the Darius Garland role well enough, so both sides can point to their guard situation as workable. The real question was the wing spot, and Cleveland’s answer is Watson.
He won’t be asked to replace Strus shot for shot from deep, but he did hit 40% from three last season. If he comes anywhere close to that again, the Cavs will take it.
Both teams have made changes aimed at helping them push past the outside expectations hanging over them, and these new additions could be part of that climb.
In Other News...
Clippers Get An Early Look At A Warriors Lineup With Real Questions
The Clippers will get their first preseason look at a Warriors group that already feels a little different, with Golden State opening camp in Hawaii and then turning around to face Los Angeles in exhibition play. Steve Kerr has already settled on his starting five for the opener, a group built around Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Yaxel Lendeborg, Draymond Green and Al Horford, giving the Clippers an early chance to gauge how the Warriors are mixing experience and new pieces.
One of the more notable wrinkles is Horford in the middle, a change that reflects the uncertainty around the frontcourt after Kristaps Porzingis was ruled out indefinitely and did not make the trip to Hawaii. The other name to watch is Lendeborg, the rookie who has earned a starting spot after being taken No. 11 and standing out through Summer League and camp, giving this preseason game a little more intrigue than the usual first tune-up. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Face A Big-Man Decision Fans Will Definitely Debate
Domantas Sabonis changing agents has added another layer to the trade chatter around Sacramento, and the ripple effects have already reached Detroit. The Kings reportedly explored a deal that would have sent Sabonis to the Pistons for Jalen Duren, but Detroit passed, leaving one of the leagues most recognizable big men still in the middle of a situation that feels like it could keep moving before camp.
There is also a more complicated multi-team path being discussed that would send Sabonis elsewhere and involve the Hornets and Clippers, a reminder that one front office decision can quickly pull several teams into the same conversation. For the Clippers, it is the kind of background trade noise worth watching closely, because even when they are not the headline, their name keeps surfacing in the kind of deal structure that can reshape the market. [Read more 🡒]
Clippers Already Have A Brook Lopez Decision Fans Will Debate
Training camp has already delivered an early rotation wrinkle for the Clippers, with Tyronn Lue opening with Isaiah Jackson in the first group instead of Brook Lopez. Lopez was widely expected to begin as a starter, but the camp look gave Jackson the early edge as the team continues sorting out how its frontcourt will fit together heading into the season.
Lue also signaled that the group the Clippers are using now may not be the one they settle on for long, which keeps Lopez very much in the mix. Jackson brings defense and rebounding, while Lopez offers the floor spacing that has long made him such a useful fit, and the comparison gets even more interesting with Yanic Konan Niederhauser still sidelined after the Lisfranc injury he suffered in the middle of last season. [Read more 🡒]