Kenny Atkinson loves to play 10 or 11 deep off the bench. After the Max Strus injury, it will be difficult to find enough firepower in the rotation for the Cleveland Cavaliers to properly do that.
For those that need a refresher, Strus sustained a Jones fracture in his left foot during an offseason workout, as initially reported by Shams Charania. The Cavaliers sharpshooter will be forced to miss approximately three to four months, making a return in December the anticipated time for him being back on the court.
That injury puts a lot of serious pressure on those behind Strus. De'Andre Hunter could be asked to step into the starting role after the injury. If not him, the Cavaliers may be forced to bank on an exciting, but still relatively unproven, prospect in Jaylon Tyson.
Maybe Sam Merrill or Lonzo Ball are forced to play up a few spots in some lineups as Atkinson gets creative. Perhaps Dean Wade is featured more on the wings during Strus' absence. There could be a path to adding more help in free agency with their 14th spot. Koby Altman and the front office could erase a lot of doubt by simply making a trade before training camp opens.
Cavaliers have painfully obvious path to strengthening the wings
Wade sticks out like a sore thumb on this Cavaliers roster right now. The veteran forward is in the last year of his deal, making $6.6 million, and could be a player that Cleveland will want to trade regardless, due to the constraints of their current financial situation.
So, why not rip the chord and move on?
Wade's salary should be relatively tradeable. The Cavaliers also have second round draft capital they can attach for another team to have interest in making a deal work with Cleveland.
There should be plenty of teams out there who are less invested in the immediate success of their franchises to the level that the Cavaliers will be. Picking up the phone and seeing what Wade and a second-round pick or two gets you is a worthwhile endeavor.
Could the Cavaliers gauge interest from the Brooklyn Nets in relocating Haywood Highsmith once more before the start of the season? Perhaps Cleveland does not even need Wade to be involved in this deal.
With the 14th spot still open, the Cavaliers could look to the Milwaukee Bucks, who are trying to clear roster space, according to Brett Siegel, after bringing back Thanasis Antetokounmpo. A second round pick for Andre Jackson Jr. would help both teams in a straightforward trade.
The Cavaliers will need to factor in the Strus injury into their plans moving forward. One way or another, they need that extra bit of help now.