Why Max Strus and the Cleveland Cavaliers should part ways this season

The Cleveland Guardians have a depth issue.

And its a good one.

Due to guard Max Strus suffering an offseason injury, the team had to search through its roster to see who could fill his void in the lineup. Fortunately, forward De'Andre Hunter stepped up to take over his starting spot, while guard Jaylon Tyson slipped into Hunter's previous spot off the bench, even starting at times this year.

Both Hunter and Tyson have been surging as of recent, averaging well over 10 points per game and consistently making a difference for Cleveland each night.

But, does their recent high-level play mean that Strus' role with the Cavaliers is coming to a close?

On Sunday, Nov. 23, the Cavaliers played host to the Los Angeles Clippers at Rocket Arena, with the Cavaliers pulling out a 120-105 victory. Hunter contributed 17 points, four rebounds and four assists, while Tyson tacked on seven points and four rebounds.

That level of production showcases scoring efforts and defensive efficiency, a stark difference from what Strus brought to the lineup.

His bread and butter is multi-level scoring, with an emphasis on three-point shooting. In 2024, he averaged 9.4 points a night on 44.2% from the field and 38.6% from deep. He was one of the top shooters from beyond the arc, averaging nearly six three-point attempts.

Outside of that though, he only added on 4.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists.

In comparison, Hunter's currently putting up numbers of 18.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and nearly a steal per game. He also has shooting splits of 45% from the field and 33% from deep. While his three-point numbers are less than those of Strus', his other general productivity has been through the roof.

He certainly deserves to be the team's starting small forward over Strus when he returns from injury.

When it comes to Hunter's former spot off the bench, Tyson has slid into that spot and performed well. He's also putting up a better stat line than Strus did last season.

Currently, the second-year professional has 11.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists a night with very consistent shooting lines of 51.5% from the field and 46.6% from deep. He's also one of six on the Cavaliers' roster who have over a steal a game.

With both Hunter and Tyson thriving, Cleveland's best bet is to continue riding the hot hands. Strus isn't a bad player, but he no longer fits with the Cavaliers' system. They need fast-paced, defensively strong players that can contribute on both ends of the court. Tyson and Hunter do both.

The only thing Strus does better than those two is perimeter shooting, which can be picked up by guard Sam Merrill, who's having an excellent campaign with the ball in hand. He's connected on 44% of his shots from beyond the arc.

Strus' timetable for a return still looks a couple of weeks out, but once he gets back up to speed, they may look to moving the sharpshooting 29-year-old.

Strus has the talent to still be a starting guard in the NBA, but just not with the Cavaliers, while Tyson and Hunter do not deserve to have their minutes limited when he gets healthy.

The Cavaliers are next preparing to take on the Toronto Raptors on Monday, Nov. 24, with tip-off slated for 7:00 p.m. This meeting will mark the third time the two Eastern Conference foes have clashed in the 2025-26 season.