Miami Heat’s Max Strus moves to Cleveland Cavaliers on 3-year deal. What do we know?
With movement in the market continuing to speed up, the Heat’s forward is the latest high-profile player to be traded to another team. Let’s take a look.
While it’s true that the Miami Heat weren’t able to clinch the title this past postseason, what they achieved is still incredible when you consider it. In that regard, it’s surprising to see them letting go of one of the key members of a team that went all the way to the NBA Finals.
Heat’s Max Strus joins Cleveland Cavaliers
Though it’s definitely surprising, reports now confirm that the Miami Heat’s sharpshooter, Max Strus, is on his way to a new team. Strus of course was a key member of the team that just went all the way to the 2023 NBA Finals. As for the deal itself, reports indicate that Strus has put pen to paper on a four-year, $63 million deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers via sign-and-trade. It should be said that the deal is a three-team trade that also includes the San Antonio Spurs. For their part, the Spurs will receive Cedi Osman, Lamar Stevens, and a second-round pick, while the Heat will get a second-round pick for their troubles.
If you didn’t know, Strus played in 80 regular season games for the Heat last season. Of those games, he started 33, while averaging 11.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. Yet, one could argue that where Strus’ value was truly observed, was when he didn’t have the ball, offering the team exceptional floor-spacing. That’s not to say that his offensive efforts weren’t notable. Indeed, Strus finished 19th in the league when it came to 3-pointers made. To that end, it makes sense that a team like the Cavs has sought to acquire him. With the acquisition of Georges Niang - another sniper - it’s clear that Cleveland has placed an emphasis on shooting from a distance ahead of the coming season. With the addition of both, one can’t deny that the Cavs who already have the likes of Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley, now become a truly interesting prospect.
The Heat are being deconstructed
It’s both interesting and sad - if you’re a Heat fan - to see that the Heat’s roster is now well and truly under construction. In addition to Strus’ departure, there is also Gabe Vincent, who is another key member of the team that took on the Denver Nuggets in the recently completed NBA Finals. As things stand, Vincent has now signed a three-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. Of course, none of this is surprising given the season that Miami just enjoyed, but it is shocking, to say the least. As for Strus, he now embarks on a new path with a team that is clearly doing its best to become a contender. Will that work out for him? As we always say: ‘Watch this space.’