It is only preseason, but De'Andre Hunter has already made a strong impression regarding what this upcoming campaign with the Cleveland Cavaliers could have in store for him. The early success is quickly making the injury of Max Strus become an afterthought in Ohio.
Strus suffered a Jones fracture in his left foot during an offseason workout, forcing him out of action and into rehab. The Cavaliers sharpshooter did not provide a clear timeline for his return at media day, but the original report from Shams Charania suggested it would be around three to four months.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus underwent surgery to repair a Jones fracture in his left foot sustained during recent offseason workout and will miss approximately 3 to 4 months.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 26, 2025
One would have been forgiven for initially finding concern with the idea of Hunter permanently securing a spot in the starting lineup. The Cavaliers forward had previously proven best-suited to coming off the bench as a sixth man in his career.
However, Hunter had made his intentions clear at Cavaliers Media Day. There was a desire to start. The sample size is still small, but the early returns of that experiment are incredibly promising for Cleveland.
De'Andre Hunter’s rise turning what looked like bad news into a blessing
At the pace Hunter is going, Strus can take all the time that is needed to recover from his leg injury. The Cavaliers needed an extra offensive punch with their marksman going down, and Darius Garland still absent. Hunter has proven more than capable in his preseason auditions.
The former Sixth Man of the Year candidate scored 17 points with the starters in his preseason debut, shooting an efficient 7-of-9 from the field. That success had Larry Nance Jr. confusing his teammate with Kawhi Leonard.
Hunter followed that up with another strong performance in the second game. The Cavaliers forward scored 20 points, shooting 6-of-12 from the field and 4-of-5 from beyond the arc.
The performances have been so good that they have even caught the attention of national media. ESPN's The Hoop Collective could not help but take notice of the success for Hunter.
Brian Windhorst said, "Max Strus has this Jones fracture. Jones fractures are very hard to project recovery timeline. Strus is an important player for them. ... De'Andre Hunter has looked very good in the preseason. He's going to be a starter for them in place of Strus."
If Hunter can continue delivering performances of the level that have been provided so far, he may just become the permanent starter beyond any reason of doubt in Cleveland. Getting that type of internal improvement will go a long way for the Cavaliers' pursuit of an NBA championship in 2025-26.