Max Strus, Cleveland Cavaliers
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Max Strus in action during the game against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have caught a case of the injury bug heading into the 2025-26 season
Point guard Darius Garland is expected to miss the first couple of weeks of the season as he recovers from June’s left big toe surgery.
The injury kept him out of multiple playoff games last spring.
“We know that this is not an easy injury to come back from. You see what happens in the NFL with this injury, it’s not linear usually in the return to performance,” coach Kenny Atkinson told the media this week.
Guard Max Strus, a key rotational player for Cleveland last season, is another story.
The former Miami Heat shooter is expected to be out for the first 40 games of the upcoming season with a foot injury, creating a massive hole in the Cavs’ rotation.
While Strus has been a productive player during his time in Cleveland, the Cavaliers may want to move on for a player who is healthy and provides them with a different skillset.
Cavaliers Trade Proposal Lands Trail Blazers’ Matisse Thybulle
In a trade idea proposed by Siddhant Gupta of Fadeaway World, the Cleveland Cavaliers could acquire Portland Trail Blazers guard Matisse Thybulle to upgrade their perimeter defense.
Cleveland Cavaliers receive: Matisse Thybulle, Duop Reath
Portland Trail Blazers receive: Max Strus, 2027 second-round pick (via DEN)
“In this trade scenario, Thybulle would effectively be replacing Strus. Although this would result in a minor drop-off in offensive production, the defensive boost is far more significant,” wrote Gupta.
“With an average of 7.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game on 47.7% shooting from the field and 43.8% shooting from deep, the forward showcased that he could still be a significant contributor.”
While losing Strus is a blow to Cleveland’s offense, they have more than enough firepower to make up for it with Donovan Mitchell, Garland, and De’Andre Hunter.
Even Evan Mobley has made strides in his offensive skills over the years.
Thybulle would provide Cleveland with something they don’t have enough of in defensive tenacity, especially on the perimeter.
Mitchell and Garland are uber-talented guards and can score at will, but their defense, especially in the postseason, leaves a little more to be desired.
Thybulle, a former two-time All-Defensive Second Team member, could provide an upgrade for a team looking to contend.
Would the Trail Blazers Make the Deal?
The Portland Trail Blazers have been stuck in a perpetual rebuild since Damian Lillard left town.
Even though he’s back, the Blazers still have a long way to go to get back to where they once were.
For the last few seasons, they relied heavily on young players and played them big minutes to the detriment of the team.
But recently, they’ve pivoted, acquiring veterans like Jrue Holiday and Lillard to bring back some leadership in the locker room.
Strus fits the bill of a veteran leader, and although he won’t play a majority of the season, his time with contenders like the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers could prove beneficial for Portland’s youngsters.
“While his output may not seem impressive, Strus is a high-value pick-up. As a contributor in every sense, the Blazers could benefit from adding him to their rotation once he recovers from injury,” continued Gupta.
“This trade also brings a valuable second-round pick over from the Cavaliers. Given that the Blazers are still loading up on young talent, this could be a solid addition to their draft reserves.”
If Portland wants to take another step forward towards future contention, this trade is a good place to start.