Cavaliers are being left with no choice but to dump beloved fan favorite

Thus far, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been primarily who we thought they'd be before the season started: the cream of the crop in the Eastern Conference. Clearly, things haven't been perfect, but as of now, the Cavaliers look to be in prime position to make a deep playoff push.

However, despite being a title contender, Cleveland could look to trade away some of its key pieces. First among these could be Max Strus.

The Cavaliers signed Strus away from the Miami Heat in the summer of 2023. Now, with the sharpshooting wing having yet to play a game this season after offseason foot surgery, a trade could behoove a handcuffed front office.

Cavaliers' financial struggles are always a motivating factor

With the trio of Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Darius Garland all making north of $39 million each for the next few years, the Cavaliers have found themselves in a precarious position with their payroll.

After being 15th in the league last year in payroll, Cleveland has jumped into first by a mile for the 2025-26 season, dolling out a staggering $229+ million this season. That number is over $22 million over the second apron, with no other teams joining them in that range.

While being over the second apron isn't the end of the world for a contending team like the Cavaliers, it isn't where you want to be long term. Teams become less flexible signing new players, and aggregating salaries via trade becomes next to impossible, among other things. Not only that, but Cleveland will also be well over the second apron next year as well.

President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman and his staff will be hard-pressed to find a solution and get Cleveland in a maneuverable spot for the coming years.

Max Strus is simply no longer worth the money for Cleveland

By no means has Max Strus been a bust since he arrived in Cleveland. In two years, he has averaged 11.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game on 42.6% from the field and 36.4% from three while being a capable defender.

Those aren't bad numbers, but for a starter on the wing, they're no longer worth the price.

This season, Strus is owed just under $16 million, and next year he'll make over $16.6 million before hitting free agency in the summer of 2027. With his salary set to increase after this season, the Cavaliers would be likely to trade him as soon as possible to get off as much of it as they can.

New Cavaliers wings have emerged with better value for Cleveland

To make moving on from Strus a bit more palatable, Cleveland has seen major strides from its young wings, particularly Jaylon Tyson and Sam Merrill.

Tyson has been the bigger revelation after hardly playing at all during his rookie season. This year, he's started in seven of the 10 games he played, averaging 11.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.1 stocks (steals + blocks) to go along with 48.9 percent from the field 46.2 percent (!) from deep on almost five attempts per game.

Offensively, Tyson has adapted to a primarily off-ball role well. His usage is at 15.5 percent, the fifth lowest on the team behind only Larry Nance Jr., Lonzo Ball, Craig Porter Jr. and Dean Wade.

It's also down from last year (17.4 percent), which is even better for his offensive profile. He has shown encouraging signs without the ball in his hands.

Defensively, Tyson arguably provides more than Strus would. He's got a tad more length and his disruptiveness is more fruitful in transition. Plus, theoretically, the more reps Tyson gets on both ends the better it will be for his already optimistic development.

While Merrill has been in and out of the lineup with a hip injury, he also has shown major growth. In seven games, he's averaging 14.6 points on 47.8 percent from 3-point, and has been everything that the Cavaliers have been looking for in an off-ball shooter.

Those numbers will likely regress a bit, but Cleveland has a real sniper on the wing that can play 30-plus minutes a night if need be. Merrill also signed a four-year, $38 million deal over the offseason that, as of now, looks like great value and is half as expensive as Strus is.

Not only do the Cavaliers have Tyson and Merrill exceeding expectations, but they also have De'Andre Hunter penciled in as the starting small forward. He's more expensive than Strus, but he also more than likely provides greater value.

He's excellent at guarding bigger wings and is averaging 19.0 points per game this season. Hunter has been asked to do a lot, but now that Garland is back things should get a bit easier for him on the offensive end.

So, Hunter is a better defender, Merrill is just as good of a shooter, and Tyson has more room to develop than Strus.

Right now, Strus is probably the best on-ball creator of the bunch (outside of the Garland-Mitchell-Mobley trio). But for his price, and the crowded wing room, it would make all the sense in the world to get his contract off the books as soon as possible.