Cavaliers add Max Strus, trade Osman, Stevens

  The Cleveland Cavaliers didn't rest on their quest to improve their outside shooting after signing Georges Niang as they participated in a three-way trade that landed them Max Strus, sent Cedi Osman and Lamar Stevens to the San Antonio Spurs, and one future second-rounder to the Spurs and the Miami Heat.

The trade will not be official until July 6.

The twenty-seven-year-old Strus averaged eleven points per game for Miami last season as one of their three-point bombers, shooting forty-one percent from the floor and thirty-five percent on three-pointers.

Strus spent three seasons with Miani after a two-game cameo with the Bulls, who signed him as an undrafted free agent from DePaul and Strus can play either small forward or shooting guard.

Strus saw his shooting percentages drop last year from 2021-22 but he also was playing more in the Heat's rotation, averaging a career-high twenty-eight minutes per game.

Strus made four or more three-pointers twenty-five times for Miami last season and is the type of shooter that excels with the 'catch and shoot' style of getting his shot off quickly, which Cleveland definitely lacked last season.

Cleveland traded their 2030 second-rounder to San Antonio and a 2026 second-rounder acquired from the Los Angeles Lakers will be sent to Miami.

Cedi Osman was an often polarizing player for Cavalier's watchers.

Many liked his energy and athleticism off the bench along with those periods when he would catch fire and explode with a huge offensive output.

Others were frustrated by his inconsistency and occasional defensive lapses.

Osman averaged 8.7 points last season and on an interesting note, Osman shot higher percentages from both the floor and three-point range (45-41 overall, 37-35 from three) than Strus, who has been signed to be a knockdown shooter.

Lamar Stevens is one of those types of players that fans love because of his hustle and work ethic as well as his willingness to do the dirty work along the boards. 

Stevens averaged 5.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game in eighteen minutes of playing time per game and while I like Stevens as a player, his type of players aren't hard to find around the league.

I still will miss Osman and Stevens and I'm not sure that I love this deal.

Strus isn't a bad player but I don't see where he is a sizable upgrade over Osman, let alone Osman and Stevens and two more second-round picks out the door.

I see what the Cavaliers are trying to do in improving the shooting and I really liked the signing of Georges Niang.

However, while I'm not knocking Max Strus, I'm wondering if the Cavaliers haven't swapped one similar player for another here and really didn't upgrade themselves.