Cavs’ Max Strus undergoes surgery for foot injury; expected to miss at least three months

Cavaliers wing Max Strus has undergone surgery to repair a Jones fracture in his left foot, the team announced. He is expected to miss three to four months.

The injury occurred during offseason training, the team says.

This is the latest blow and the second big surgery news of the Cavaliers’ offseason. It was recently revealed that starting point guard Darius Garland is likely to miss training camp and the first few weeks of the season. Garland underwent surgery on a big toe injury suffered during the playoffs.

So coach Kenny Atkinson will be down two players who started last season to tip off 2025-26.

The procedure was performed by Dr. David Porter in Indianapolis, with Cavs physician Dr. James Rosneck consulting. 

Strus missed the start of last season, including each of the first 15 games, which the Cavs won. But he returned by midseason to offer his usual dose of outside shooting, determined defense and overall grit.

Cleveland finished 64-18 before falling to the Pacers in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

“To me, we’ve got to get tougher,” Strus said after the season. “Physically and mentally. We can talk about it, but we have to be about it.”

Strus, 29, is 6-foot-5 and averaged 9.4 points and 4.3 rebounds in 50 games last season, shooting 44.2 percent from the field and 38.6 percent on 3-pointers.

He has spent each of the past two years with the Cavaliers after three seasons with the Heat. His NBA career began in 2019-20 with his hometown Bulls.

Cavaliers Media Day is expected to be held September 29, with training camp to tip off a day later.