Cavaliers lose forward Strus for three to four months

WASHINGTON, United States — Cleveland Cavaliers forward Max Strus will miss the next three to four months after undergoing successful left foot surgery on Tuesday (Wednesday Manila time), the NBA team announced.

Strus suffered a Jones fracture, a broken bone connecting the small toe to the foot, during recent off-season training, the Cavaliers said in a statement.

Following the operation in Indianapolis, Strus was expected to resume basketball activities in three to four months.

The Cavaliers are set to begin the 2025-26 NBA campaign on October 22 at New York.

Strus averaged 9.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 50 games last season, 37 as a starter for the Cavs, who went 64-18 for the best regular-season record in the Eastern Conference.

Strus averaged career playoff highs of 11.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists last season, when Cleveland was eliminated in the second round by the Indiana Pacers.

The undrafted 29-year-old who spent his first NBA season with Chicago in 2019-20 and the next three with Miami, joined the Cavaliers in 2023 on a four-year deal worth $63 million.

He missed the first six weeks of last season with a right ankle sprain.