Getty Max Strus #31 of the DePaul Blue Demons shoots a lay up against Sam Hauser #10 of the Marquette Golden Eagles at Wintrust Arena on February 12, 2019.
Max Strus, who went undrafted in 2018 out of DePaul, now has the opportunity to become a key part of the Miami Heat roster going into the 2020-2021 NBA Season. The 24-year-old landed a two-way deal on December 19, hours before the team’s 5 p.m. deadline.
Strus separated himself from the pack after scoring 22 points with two rebounds and an assist in the Heat’s final preseason game against the Toronto Raptors. Afterward, it seems Miami had no choice but sign him over BJ Johnson. Per club policy, details of the deal were not disclosed.
On Saturday, the Heat announced the exciting news via Twitter. Under a two-way contract, Strus can appear in up to 50 games of the Heat’s 72-game regular season.
OFFICIAL: The Miami HEAT have converted the contract of guard/forward Max Strus to a two-way contract.
Here’s why 👇
The shooting guard spent the 2019 season playing with the Chicago Bulls G League affiliate where he averaged 18.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. He appeared in 13 games with the Windy City Bulls before suffering a season-ending injury.
“I just take it one day at a time,” Strus said, prior be being signed. “I don’t think the games mean as much as people make it out to be. I think it’s every day in practice, just making sure I’m do everything I can to compete and showcase everything I can do to help this team out.”
“He’s intriguing with his ability to play in our system,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said recently. “He can play without the ball. He can space the floor but he also can move without the ball and find open areas, come off screens and make plays. You can see how that can fit with us. He’s had some good moments in camp.”
The Heat Waived 2 Prospects Earlier in the Week – Breein Tyree & Paul Eboua
GettyBreein Tyree #4 of the Mississippi Rebels handles the ball in the first half against the Oklahoma Sooners during the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
The Miami Heat got a headstart on trimming down their roster on December 16 by waiving two promising young players. Coach Erik Spoelstra‘s camp squad is now down to 18 after the release of undrafted guard Breein Tyree and international prospect Paul Eboua.
After going undrafted in 2020, Tyree had signed with the Heat on November 25. A former guard at Ole Miss, the two-time ALL-SEC player helped lead the Rebels to the 2019 NCAA Tournament. He led the team in scoring through his junior and senior year, averaging 17.9 points per game and hitting 37.5% from a 3-point distance, as reported by the Clarion Ledger.
Fun fact: If the 22-year-old’s name sounds familiar, it’s because the 6-foot-2, 195-pound baller’s cousin is former New York Giants star, David Tyree, who caught the insane “helmet catch” during Super Bowl 42.
As for Eboua, 20, the 6’8 forward grew up in Douala, Cameroon, played the last three seasons in Italy. Shortly after playing on loan with the Lega Basket Serie A team VL Pesaro, where he finished the season averaging 7.4 points with 5.3 rebounds per game, he declared for the NBA Draft in 2020.
Heat Locks 17 Players With Guaranteed Contracts
Miami Heat has completed their roster with the following 17 players, however, who will be named as starters have not yet been revealed.
Players signed and ready to roll for the 2020-2021 season are the following: Strus and Gabe Vincent with two-way contracts, Jimmy Butler, Goran Dragic, Tyler Herro, Udonis Haslem, Precious Achiuwa, Bam Adebayo, Avery Bradley, Maurice Harkless, Kendrick Nunn, Andre Iguodala, Meyers Leonard, KZ Okpala, Kelly Olynyk, Duncan Robinson and Chris Silva.
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Miami Heat Signs Top Prospect After Insane Preseason Performance