Posted by Rick Jabot
Made 197 three-pointers and averaged career-highs in points, rebounds, assists, and steals last season; also started all 23 playoff games during Miami’s 2023 NBA Finals run
CLEVELAND – The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired forward Max Strus in a sign and trade agreement with the Miami Heat, Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts. As part of a trade, the Cavaliers sent a 2026 second round pick (via Los Angeles Lakers) to Miami, and traded forwards Cedi Osman and Lamar Stevens as well as Cleveland’s own 2030 second round pick to San Antonio.
Strus (6-5, 215) played in 80 games (33 starts) for Miami this past regular season, averaging career highs in points (11.5), rebounds (3.2), assists (2.1), steals (0.53), free throw percentage (.876) and minutes (28.4). He connected on 197 three-pointers, which ranked 21st in the NBA, and his 80 appearances were tied for 15th-most in the league. The 27-year-old also registered 55 games with multiple three-pointers (tied for 11th-most in NBA) and 10 contests with at least five triples made. Additionally, Strus scored in double figures a career-high 50 times, including 11 games with 20-or-more points and a career-best 31-point effort against Charlotte on Nov. 12, 2022. In the postseason, he started in all 23 games during the Heat’s 2023 NBA Finals run and averaged 9.3 points and 3.6 rebounds in 28.2 minutes per contest.
Over his four-year NBA career, Strus has appeared in 189 regular season games (49 starts) with Miami and Chicago, holding averages of 10.0 points and 2.7 rebounds in 23.1 minutes. He is also shooting .371 from three-point range and .820 from the foul line. The 6-5 forward set a career high for consecutive games with a three-pointer with 20 from Oct. 26-Dec. 8, 2022, and has five four-point plays over his career. Strus has also appeared in 43 career playoff games (41 starts), averaging 9.6 points and 3.6 rebounds in 27.4 minutes. After going undrafted out of DePaul University in 2019, he played in 13 NBA G League games for the Windy City Bulls (2019-20).
Osman (6-7, 230) was a member of the Cavaliers for six NBA seasons (2017-2023), including Cleveland’s 2018 NBA Finals team. He appeared in 404 regular season games (183 starts) with averages of 9.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 23.6 minutes. Stevens (6-8. 225) played in 165 games (38 starts) during his three seasons with Cleveland (2020-2023), averaging 5.3 points and 2.8 rebounds in 16.0 minutes, as well as appearing in two postseason contests.
Strus will wear jersey #1 for the Cavaliers this season.
COURTESY CAVALIERS MEDIA RELATIONS
