When will Cavs’ Max Strus return from foot injury?

SAN ANTONIO — The Cavs proceed to beryllium without a cardinal portion of their title puzzle — and it will stay that measurement for a small while longer.

Small guardant Max Strus, who has been sidelined nan past 4 months pursuing offseason room to repair a Jones fracture (fifth metatarsal) successful his near foot, has not yet started practicing pinch nan squad and remains without a patient timetable for a return.

“The timeline is what it is,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said. “There’s nary earlier aliases later.”

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Shortly aft nan cognition connected Aug 26, nan Cavs announced that Strus was expected to resume hoops activities successful astir 3 to 4 months. Friday was nan four-month mark.

Even though he hasn’t practiced — and location was ever going to beryllium an extended ramp-up process because of a deficiency of training camp, preseason, etc. —Strus continues to behaviour individual on-court shooting workouts pinch activity and cutting to trial nan stableness and symptom tolerance of that surgically repaired foot.

A afloat believe pinch contact, whenever that happens, is viewed arsenic 1 of nan last steps earlier receiving clearance.

The Cavs are group to play each different time for nan adjacent 3 weeks, limiting nan number of imaginable believe opportunities. Depending connected really Atkinson intends to attack this crowded information of nan schedule, nan adjacent charismatic believe whitethorn not travel until Jan. 18 — a time earlier hosting reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City astatine Rocket Arena. Atkinson, if desired, could ever adhd a afloat convention successful betwixt crippled days.

This is nan 2nd consecutive play Strus has missed nan early months because of injury. He sat retired nan first 27 games successful 2024-25 because of an ankle rumor and has already missed 33 frankincense far.

The Cavs miss him, typically pointing to his unquantifiable violative effect — movement, cutting, shooting, spacing and gravity. And fixed Atkinson’s caller starting lineup alteration — putting De’Andre Hunter successful a reserve domiciled for nan foreseeable early — Strus is expected to reclaim his starting mini guardant job, moreover if not correct distant because of cautious infinitesimal restrictions.

Since joining Cleveland arsenic an unrestricted free supplier successful nan summertime of 2023, Strus has appeared successful 120 games, averaging 11.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 42.6% from nan section and 36.4% from 3-point range.

Chris Fedor has much than 20 years of acquisition successful Cleveland sports media, starting his profession successful power and making a full-time modulation to multimedia publicity astir a decade ago. While he has covered the...