Some within the Cleveland Cavaliers, including head coach Kenny Atkinson, reportedly are starting to admit that sharpshooter Max Strus may look a little different when he returns from the foot injury that has sidelined him to this point in the 2025-26 season.
Strus was injured prior to the start of the campaign, suffering a Jones fracture in his left foot in an offseason workout.
“I think Kenny is finally admitting and I think other people inside the organization are admitting, ‘We don’t know if we’re going to get the Max Strus that we’ve gotten in the past,'” Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor said.
The latest update from the team regarding Strus came earlier this week, and it specified that he could miss several more weeks.
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— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) January 6, 2026
Strus’ absence is a huge blow for the Cavs, as they really need his shooting if they want to reach their full potential in the Eastern Conference.
Cleveland is off to a 21-17 start this season and holds the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference. Last season, the Cavs only lost 18 of their 82 games, but they have dropped 17 of their first 38 in the 2025-26 campaign.
In the 2024-25 season, Strus appeared in 50 games for the Cavs and made 37 starts. He averaged 9.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 44.2 percent from the field and 38.6 percent from beyond the arc. In his time with Cleveland, Strus has knocked down 36.4 percent of his 3-point attempts.
Even when Strus does return, it’s unclear what role he’ll play for the Cavs. Cleveland has been forced to experiment with different starting lineups this season due to injuries, but it does finally have Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen all healthy.
If Strus were to return in the 2025-26 season and still shoot the ball at a high level, it would be a major addition for the Cavs’ depth. However, it appears that there is some skepticism in the organization about just how much the veteran will be able to bring to the table.
The Cavs continue their stretch without Strus on Thursday night when they take on the Minnesota Timberwolves and star guard Anthony Edwards (if Edwards plays).