Last Updated on July 24, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Max Strus worked his way into the NBA through persistence and steady improvement, turning himself into a respected contributor after going undrafted. His ability to knock down perimeter shots, move without the ball, and compete defensively has made him a valuable role player throughout his career.

Here’s detailed information about Max Strus:

Player Profile

  • Full Name: Max Tanner Strus
  • Nickname: “The Strus is Loose” / “The Concept” (publicly used nicknames; “The Concept” is fan-driven) (NBA)
  • Nationality: American
  • Date of Birth: March 28, 1996
  • Hometown: Hickory Hills, Illinois, United States (NBA)
  • Height: 6’5″ (1.96 m)
  • Weight: 215 lbs (98 kg)
  • Wingspan: 6’7.5″ (CraftedNBA)
  • Shoe Size: 14 (NBA)
  • Jersey Number:
  • Position: Shooting guard / small forward; NBA-listed guard-forward (NBA)
  • High School: Amos Alonzo Stagg High School (Palos Hills, Illinois) (247Sports)
  • College: Lewis University; DePaul University
  • NBA Draft: Undrafted, 2019, no team selected him
  • Teams Played For:
    • Chicago Bulls (2019–2020)
    • Miami Heat (2020–2023)
    • Cleveland Cavaliers (2023–present)
  • Player Archetype: Movement shooting wing / floor-spacing two-guard / offensive connector
  • Primary Offensive Role: Off-ball spacer, movement shooter, secondary attacker who can keep the ball moving and punish closeouts
  • Defensive Role: Competitive team defender on the wing; cross-matchable against guards and some smaller forwards
  • Play Style: High-volume perimeter shooter with constant off-ball movement, relocation threes, quick-trigger catch-and-shoot ability, straight-line drives, and useful connective passing
  • Handedness / Shooting Hand: Right-handed / shoots right
  • Athletic Profile: Solid NBA wing athlete with good size and functional strength; more fluid and physical than explosive
  • Recruiting Status: Lightly recruited; 247Sports listed him as unrated/N/A, and he initially had only one Division I offer before going to Division II Lewis (247Sports)
  • Draft Status Detail: 2019 undrafted free agent who worked his way into the league after college stops at Lewis and DePaul (NBA)
  • Injury Status Category: Active / returning from major foot injury; Strus underwent surgery for a left foot Jones fracture in August 2025 and made his 2025-26 season debut on March 15, 2026 (ESPN.com)
  • Career Stage: Prime veteran rotation wing
  • Comparison Style: Duncan Robinson-type movement gravity with a sturdier frame and a bit more rebounding/connector value
  • Championship Rings: 0
  • Parents: John Strus and Debbie Strus (NBA)
  • Children: None publicly reported
  • Siblings: Older brother Marty Strus; older sister Maggie Strus (NBA)
  • Athlete Relatives:
    • Marty Strus — played basketball at Lewis
    • Maggie Strus — played volleyball at UIC
    • Debbie Strus — played basketball and volleyball at DePaul
    • John Strus — pitched at Eastern Illinois
    • Cousin Katie Reilly — played volleyball at Wichita State and beach volleyball at South Carolina
    • Cousin Stacey Reilly — played volleyball at Louisiana University
    • Cousin Clark Brinkman — played baseball at Creighton and was drafted by the Detroit Tigers (NBA)

Player Archetype / Play Style

Max Strus’s player archetype is that of a movement shooting wing: a floor-spacing guard-forward who puts real pressure on a defense with constant off-ball activity, quick-release three-point shooting, and the ability to keep possessions flowing without needing to dominate the ball. Defensively, he fits best as a competitive team defender on the wing rather than a true stopper, using his solid 6’5″ frame, strong build, and respectable length to hold up against guards and some forwards while staying active within a scheme. Offensively, his main value comes as a relocation shooter, catch-and-shoot threat, and secondary connector who can attack scrambling closeouts, move the ball, and chip in on the glass. Physically, he is sturdy, well-sized for a modern wing, and more functional than explosive, which lines up with a play style built on motor, spacing gravity, timing, and toughness rather than pure burst. (NBA)

Scouting Report

It’s easy to reduce Max Strus to a shooter, but that misses what actually makes him difficult to defend. The constant movement is the story. He doesn’t simply relocate to the next open spot; he changes pace, brushes defenders off teammates, flows from one action into another and forces the defence to communicate every second he’s on the floor. A defender who relaxes for a moment is suddenly trailing him around a pin-down or arriving late to a handoff, and that’s often all the separation he needs because his release is so quick. The interesting thing is that once opponents begin top-locking those actions, he’ll counter by cutting hard to the rim or taking one or two dribbles into the paint before the rotating big has completely set his feet. He’s capable of making the extra pass after collapsing the defence, particularly when the low man steps over, but he’s much more comfortable keeping the possession moving than orchestrating it himself. Defensively, he competes with more discipline than he’s usually given credit for. He’ll absorb contact chasing shooters, rotate on time from the weak side and execute peel switches without creating confusion, although explosive isolation scorers can force him into recovery situations where his average foot speed becomes more apparent. That’s the trade-off. He isn’t shutting down elite creators one-on-one, but he consistently understands where the possession is heading before it gets there. To me, his ideal fit is beside a high-level playmaker who values off-ball movement as much as on-ball creation, because Strus keeps dragging defenders through screening actions even when he never touches the ball. Those empty possessions from a box-score perspective often create the driving lanes for everyone else. There are obvious similarities to Duncan Robinson because of the reliance on movement shooting and DHOs, but Strus plays with a little more willingness to put the ball on the floor after hard closeouts, and there are flashes of Joe Harris in the way he punishes defensive overreactions without trying to turn every advantage into an isolation opportunity.

Sources:

NBA.com — Max Strus | Guard-Forward | Cleveland Cavaliers (NBA)
247Sports — Max Strus, Chicago, Shooting Guard (247Sports)
Lewis University Athletics — Max Strus – Men’s Basketball (Lewis University Athletics)
DePaul University Athletics — Max Strus – MEN’S BASKETBALL (DePaul University Athletics)
ESPN — Cavaliers’ Max Strus has foot surgery, out 3-4 months (ESPN.com)
NBA.com — Cavaliers’ Max Strus makes season debut against Mavericks (NBA)
Forbes — How Miami Heat Guard Max Strus Went From Division II Lewis University To NBA Playoffs Starter