The 4 Most overpaid Cleveland Cavaliers for next season

Max Strus is overpaid

Well, that didn’t take long. It’s not that the Cleveland Cavaliers signed Max Strus to a new contract and then new developments decreased his value to the team. Right off the bat, the Cavs overpaid to land Strus this summer.

That was necessary, unfortunately, as the market for Strus continued to rise as free agency neared. The Cavaliers were one of many teams willing to offer the Full Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception, which began around $12.4 million. Those were low odds, and with precious few wing players on the market with postseason experience and shooting ability, Cleveland overbid to ensure they got their guy.

That deal ended up as a 4-year, $62.3 million contract that began at $14.48 million, about two million more than other teams were prepared to start his contract. To some extent, the market dictates the value of a player; Strus was worth what the Cavs paid in the context of free agency. But that speaks to the fact that free agency artificially inflates the cost to sign players.

Strus is a willing high-volume shooter, an important factor that gives him gravity, but he his just 35 percent from deep last season and is a career 37.1 percent shooter; Kyle Korver, he is not. He plays hard but he’s not an impact defender. His playmaking has improved since he entered the league, but he isn’t going to handle the ball and set up the offense.

He’s a movement shooter without elite accuracy, a wing defender who isn’t a lockdown guy and stands just 6’5″ tall; the Cavs will ask him to play the 3, but he’s not an ideal fit. He may thrive in Cleveland, and even his modest contributions will help the shooting-starved Cavs, but based on his track record and skillset he’s well overpaid.