Cavaliers Looking to Trade Max Strus After Trading Dennis Schroder

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Cleveland Cavaliers are looking to trade Max Strus after trading Dennis Schroder to the Charlotte Hornets.

Strus will make $16,660,836 next season in the final year of his contract. 

The Cavaliers are trying to create more cap space to acquire Peyton Watson or Jonathan Kuminga. Watson is a restricted free agent with the Denver Nuggets, while Kuminga is an unrestricted free agent who last played for the Atlanta Hawks. The Golden State Warriors traded Kuminga to the Hawks last season. 

Strus appeared in just 12 games for Cleveland last season because of injuries. He averaged 11.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game while shooting 44.3% from the field, 40.2% from beyond the arc and 77.8% from the free-throw line. 

The Cavaliers went 52-30 last season and beat the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the playoffs and defeated the Detroit Pistons in the second round before getting swept by the New York Knicks in the conference finals. 

Cleveland lost Dean Wade to the Philadelphia 76ers and franchise legend LeBron James went to Philly as well instead of coming home. The Cavaliers needs a starting forward alongside James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, which is why they are pursuing Watson and Kuminga. 

For the Warriors and Hawks last season, Kuminga averaged 12.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 46.3% from the field, 33.3% from beyond the arc and 72.4% from the free-throw line. He played for Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson in Golden State. 

Meanwhile, for the Nuggets last season, Watson averaged 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 49.1% from the field, 41.1% from beyond the arc and 73.0% from the free-throw line. He's one of the best two-way wings in the NBA.

Without LeBron, the Cavaliers' core remains the same: Harden, Mitchell, Mobley and Allen. Can that core get over the hump next season or will they falter in the playoffs again? 

Only time will tell.