The Cleveland Cavaliers’ offseason maneuvering did not end with Dennis Schröder.
Cleveland is actively searching for a trade involving Max Strus as the veteran wing enters the final season of his contract, NBA insider Marc Stein reported Sunday night in The Stein Line. The Cavaliers’ goal is to create additional financial flexibility for their pursuit of Peyton Watson or Jonathan Kuminga while preserving room to re-sign James Harden.
Strus, 30, is due $16.7 million in 2026-27, the final season of his four-year, $63 million deal, before becoming an unrestricted free agent. Moving most or all of his salary without accepting comparable money in return would give Cleveland considerably more maneuvering room beneath the NBA’s restrictive tax aprons.
It would also mean trading a proven shooter who fought his way back from a serious foot injury and contributed during the Cavaliers’ run to the Eastern Conference finals.
Cavaliers Continue Clearing Salary
The Cavaliers agreed Friday to trade Schröder and cash to the Charlotte Hornets for Tre Mann. Because Schröder will earn approximately $14.8 million next season while Mann is due $8 million, the transaction reduced Cleveland’s payroll by $6.8 million.
Salary cap analyst Yossi Gozlan calculated that the Cavaliers moved approximately $30 million below the first apron and $42 million below the second apron through the trade. Cleveland also has at least one open roster spot, with one expected to be reserved for Harden.
Those figures represent apron flexibility, not conventional salary cap space. They matter because operating below the aprons gives Cleveland more options to complete trades, conduct a sign-and-trade and increase its payroll without triggering the NBA’s harshest roster-building restrictions.
GettyKarl-Anthony Towns of the New York Knicks drives with the ball against Max Strus of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the third quarter in Game Two of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden on May 21, 2026 in New York City.
Moving Strus into another team’s cap space or trade exception — with minimal salary coming back — would widen that operating room.
“After agreeing Friday to trade Schröder to Charlotte, Cleveland remains in active search of a trade to send out Max Strus,” Stein wrote.
Finding a taker may require the Cavaliers to include an asset, depending on the return. Strus carries an expiring contract and valuable playoff experience, but he appeared in only 12 regular-season games last season after undergoing surgery to repair a Jones fracture in his left foot.
When healthy, Strus averaged 11.2 points and 5.4 rebounds while shooting 40.2% from 3-point range. His movement shooting and willingness to defend larger wings gave coach Kenny Atkinson a useful lineup connector.
Peyton Watson, Jonathan Kuminga Remain Cleveland Targets
The Cavaliers are shopping for a younger, more athletic forward who could raise their defensive ceiling alongside Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley. That search has led them to Watson and Kuminga.
Watson is a restricted free agent, giving the Denver Nuggets the right to match an offer or negotiate a sign-and-trade. According to Stein, Denver’s offers have been worth approximately $70 million over four seasons. Watson’s camp is believed to be seeking an average salary exceeding the $25 million Christian Braun received in his five-year extension.
Watson, 23, averaged career highs of 14.6 points and 4.9 rebounds last season while shooting 41.1% from beyond the arc. His length and defensive versatility would address Cleveland’s need for another two-way wing, although Denver would expect compensation in any sign-and-trade.
Kuminga offers a different path. The unrestricted free agent has mutual interest with Cleveland and a previous relationship with Atkinson, who coached him as a Golden State Warriors assistant.
Cleveland also must finalize its business with Harden. Stein reported that one source familiar with the negotiations expects his new multiyear contract to be completed “soon-ish.”
Trading Strus could make the rest of those complicated pieces easier to arrange. It would cost Cleveland reliable shooting, but the Cavaliers appear willing to sacrifice continuity for a younger wing and a higher ceiling.
Cavaliers Shopping $63 Million Veteran After Dennis Schröder Trade: Report