Los Angeles Clippers guard Max Strus will not be ready for the team’s opening-night game against the Sacramento Kings on Oct. 21.
Strus, 30, exited the Clippers’ matchup against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday. The injury took place just five minutes into Los Angeles’ win over the Warriors. Strus was seen limping to the locker room.
Max Strus was diagnosed with a partial tear of the plantar fascia in his right foot, ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported. The 30-year-old will be reevaluated in four weeks and will miss the start of the regular season.
It will be the second major injury that the Clippers have learned about in the days leading up to the regular season.
Clippers Acquired Max Strus in Five-Team Trade
In an unusual offseason for the Clippers, the team acquired Max Strus in mid-August. The deal included five teams.
The main details of the trade included the Clippers getting Max Strus, the Cleveland Cavaliers getting Peyton Watson (who also signed a four-year, $88 million deal), and the Denver Nuggets receiving an unprotected first-round pick in 2031 and a 2032 second-round pick.
Strus had spent the previous three seasons with the Cavaliers. Cleveland decided to move on from the veteran following an injury-riddled 2025-26 season that resulted in just 12 regular-season games played.
In a shortened year, Strus averaged 11.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists on 44.3/40.2/77.8 shooting splits.
Strus played in 18 games during the Cavaliers’ 2026 Eastern Conference Finals run. He averaged 9.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists on 40.6/35.8/91.7 shooting splits.
Clippers Will Be Without Brandon Ingram to Begin 2026-27 Season
On a new-look Clippers roster, the franchise moved on from Kawhi Leonard. The trade sent Leonard to the Raptors and Brandon Ingram to the Clippers.
Unfortunately, Brandon Ingram’s team debut will also be delayed. Doctors “discovered and addressed” a right heel injury and a partially torn Achilles tendon that needed surgery, ESPN’s Ben Golliver reported.
Ingram has no timetable to return, Golliver added. Clippers interim president Trent Redden noted that the recovery timeline for a partially torn Achilles is “about six months less” than a fully torn Achilles.
Ingram also missed the Raptors’ final two postseason games because of the heel injury that required surgery.
“It wasn’t until we got our hands on [Ingram] here that we started to see where he was at with his progression,” Redden said. “He won’t be ready for the start of the season, and we’ll reevaluate when we get there.”
Ingram was healthy for most of the 2025-26 regular season and appeared in 77 games. He averaged 21.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists.
Clippers Provide Telling Max Strus Injury Update After Exiting Preseason Opener