Cavaliers Seek Trade for Max Strus and His $16.7 Million Contract

Cleveland continues to balance the books. The Cavaliers are negotiating a trade for Max Strus with the goal of freeing up his salary to sign Jonathan Kuminga or restricted free agent Peyton Watson, according to reporter Marc Stein.

It's the second chapter of a roadmap that kicked off Friday with the trade of Dennis Schröder to the Hornets. That deal saved them $6.8 million and left them with roughly thirty million in room relative to the first salary tier, but the franchise believes it needs more.

Why him and not someone else

The reason is purely arithmetic. Strus is in the final year of his contract, valued at $16.7 million, and that is exactly the type of expiring salary that a team with cap space can absorb without committing long-term.

His performance is not in question. Since arriving in 2023, he has appeared in 132 games with averages of 11 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists, and remains one of the reliable shooters in the project. What's happening is that his contract is the only one large enough to unlock the move.

Two targets and a deadline that's running out

The two names on the table respond to different profiles. Kuminga, 23, became a free agent when the Hawks declined his $24.3 million option and has drawn interest from half the league. Watson, the same age, is a restricted free agent of Denver, who retains the right to match any offer, and there the operation would require an agreement between franchises.

Behind all this remains a third front: the extension of James Harden, which Cleveland has parked precisely until resolving these moves. And with training camps looming, the window to fit all three pieces together is narrowing.