Cavs’ Max Strus Could Make Season Debut This Weekend

The Cleveland Cavaliers are 82-38 in the games that Max Strus has played. That’s a win percentage (.683) that would be good for the fourth-best in the NBA in 2025-26, behind only the Oklahoma City Thunder (.776), Detroit Pistons (.727) and San Antonio Spurs (.727). Of course, with Strus holding career averages of 10.4 points and 2.4 assists per game, nobody would point to him as the primary catalyst of the Cavs’ success. However, his 3-and-D skill set –primarily his abilities as a movement shooter –helps unlock Cleveland’s potential because essentially a one-of-one on their roster.

Cavs’ Max Strus Could Make Season Debut This Weekend

This season, the Cavaliers’ in-house anomaly has yet to suit up as he continues to recover from foot surgery. As he sustained a Jones fracture in late August, there probably aren’t many people taken aback by that. Not only do Jones fractures often require lengthy rehabilitation periods, foot injuries can be tricky. All the same, because of Strus’s on-court value, some may be on pins and needles as they await his return.

The good news on that front?

Strus “recently underwent what the team hopes is a final check-up,” according to cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor. In fact, “a Sunday home debut is not out of the question.”

Shaking Off The Rust

Tomorrow, Cleveland is scheduled to play against the Dallas Mavericks, a franchise that’s gone from title-contender to lottery-bound.

Notably, when players end their extended absences, it’s not uncommon for them to try to shake the rust off against a lowly opponent. In light of that, the Mavs are the type of team that Strus or the Cavs could have circled on the calendar as he prepares for his season debut. However, Cleveland is actually in a rather soft part of their schedule. Out of their next five opponents, only one (the Orlando Magic) has won at least 30 games in 2025-26.

Thus, he’ll have several opportunities for a soft launch. In the meantime, “while the organization has not yet identified a potential debut date,” he’s ramping up his activity. This week, Strus has been practicing with their official G League affiliate, the Cleveland Charge. The goal of these sessions is “to increase exertion, build stamina, take contact and test his surgically repaired foot in a controlled environment…”

Tempering Expectations

Basketball is a bit like riding a bike in that muscle memory tends to take over. That’s why, no matter what the talent level of the player is, they’re always expected to eventually regain their rhythm after an injury. All the same, it’s 305 days since Strus last played in an NBA game. As a result, it would be wise to temper expectations. If he doesn’t look great out of the gates, give him a little grace.

Though it’s possible Strus will come back like he never missed a day, it’s improbable. More likely is that it’ll take some time for him to re-acclimate to knocking down 3-pointers, slowing down his defensive assignment and being comfortable with the speed of the game. After playing 91 games alongside Darius Garland over the past two seasons, he also has to build chemistry with James Harden.