The Cleveland Cavaliers have handed out information about Max Strus and his injury recovery like they are state secrets this season. They may have just tipped their hand, however, by making a bold trade to send out DeAndre Hunter and bring back Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis.
In doing so, they announced that they don't expect to have a healthy Strus back by the playoffs - an announcement that came without mentioning Strus at all. The reason they targeted Ellis was to replace Strus and give them a chance at contending this season.
It was August when Strus suffered a Jones fracture to his foot, fracturing the bone that connects the pinkie toe to the base of the foot. It's a nasty injury for basketball players to recover from, because that part of the foot is critical to any and all movement on a basketball court. It was a disheartening development for one of Cleveland's expected starters.
When he first had surgery in late August, the timetable reported was 3-4 months. That would mean missing the start to the season, yes, but returning sometime between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. Instead, all of January has now passed without any hint that Strus will be ready soon. The update earlier in January was that Strus needed at least another month.
Max Strus may not return this season
It seems like the secret announcement now is that Strus could miss the entire season. Jones fractures are not particularly common NBA injuries, and they are notoriously difficult recoveries to time out, with some players missing full campaigns in recovery. That could be in the cards for Strus, which signals why the Cavaliers went out and found a replacement.
With Strus injured, Isaac Okoro traded away and Lonzo Ball ineffective, the Cavs haven't had someone reliable in the rotation to defend the point of attack. They acquired DeAndre Hunter to be able to play either forward position and give the Cavaliers lineup versatility, but that requires having wings to insert into the lineup. The emergence of second-year forward Jaylon Tyson made Hunter expendable, but the loss of Strus opened up another hole.
The Cavs went and filled that hole late Saturday night, trading Hunter to the Sacramento Kings for young wing Keon Ellis and veteran point guard Dennis Schroder. Taking on Scroder and his long-term contract was likely the cost of business rather than a signal about Darius Garland; the deal was much more about Ellis for Cleveland.
There were other teams interested in DeAndre Hunter, but the ideal return from all of their options was Ellis. He is a decent shooter and above-average perimeter defender whose ideal role is exactly what Strus brought: defending opposing guards, fighting over screens, stepping in and allowing Garland and Donovan Mitchell to defend the least intimidating perimeter threat.
Do the Cavs need such a player if Max Strus were healthy? Probably not. Between Strus, Sam Merrill and Jaylon Tyson the wing rotation would be set, or something close to it. Ellis had real value around the NBA, which meant the Cavs prioritized using their assets -- including future cap space in taking on Schroder -- to bring him in. They must have done so to replace Strus.
Ideally, Strus will be back by the playoffs. No one has ruled him out yet. The Cavs could certainly use all the wings that they can get. But Cleveland can no longer rely on Strus coming back. While they didn't make an official announcement, their actions have spoken loudly instead.
They don't know if Strus will be back. Now they have a replacement in Keon Ellis.