Grading the Clippers' Max Strus Trade

Even though they are still awaiting the resolution of the Kawhi Leonard investigation, the LA Clippers are not standing pat. They have been active in trade and free agency negotiations with the hope of building the most competitive roster possible in the first year of the post-Kawhi era.

With that goal in mind, they made a big swing on Wednesday night to acquire a proven, quality rotation player. According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Clippers are acquiring Max Strus from the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for a 2027 second-round pick.

This was a part of a bigger deal that sent restricted free agent Peyton Watson to the Cavaliers. Cleveland sent Strus, an unprotected 2031 first-rounder, and a 2032 second-rounder in a sign-and-trade with the Nuggets. They gave Watson a four-year, $88 million deal.

The Nuggets, as the only team in the second apron and deep into the tax, didn't want to take on Strus and his $16.6 million salary for next season.

That is when the Clippers swooped in and used the trade exception they created in the John Collins sign-and-trade earlier in the offseason to bring Strus in.

Why Did the Clippers Trade for Max Strus?

In terms of pure value proposition, getting a player of Strus' caliber for a single second-round pick is excellent. It's not like Strus is on a bad contract. He is paid appropriately for next season and becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer.

If Strus plays well, the Clippers could flip him at the trade deadline and get more back than they gave up. Or, they could just re-sign him to a new deal, as teams will always need three-and-D players. If he can't stay healthy or plays poorly, the Clippers can just let him walk next summer. It's not like they gave up anything of value to acquire him.

Strus can help a lot of teams around the league, including the Clippers. He is an elite shooter, both in terms of volume and accuracy. He is a playoff-proven player with a ton of postseason experience. Even after he missed most of last season with injury, he was one of the more important players for the Cavs in their playoff run. He is a good defender who can guard multiple positions and plays with a lot of intensity and physicality.

The Clippers didn't desperately need Strus. He doesn't fill an immediate need, as the Clippers already have a crowded backcourt, especially after re-signing Bradley Beal. But you can never have too many players like Strus, who can shoot, defend, and play hard. Compared to most three-and-D players, Strus also has passing and playmaking chops. It's difficult to imagine that he will not make a positive impact in LA.

There will surely be disappointed Clippers fans. Strus is 30 years old and has been dealing with injuries in the past two seasons. They were also hoping that the Clippers could sign-and-trade for Watson themselves.

The issue is, if the Cavs were willing to go up to a four-year, $88 million deal, the Clippers didn't have a clear path to get there. Since that deal doesn't fit into the trade exception, they would have had to give up multiple players to match salaries. It would have had to be a combination of Kris Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr., and Brook Lopez, plus a first-round pick like the Cavs gave up.

Given where the Clippers are as a franchise, that is a lot to give up. It's understandable that the front office was hesitant to give up several capable role players and draft capital to pay Watson over $20 million per year. Instead, choosing to acquire a starting-caliber swingman without giving up anything is a savvy move.

Grade: A-

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