Max Strus agrees to 4-year, $63 million deal with Cavaliers via sign-and-trade, per report

Miami loses another key contributor from its recent Finals run

After playing an integral role for the Miami Heat during their recent run to the NBA Finals, Max Strus has found a new NBA home. The sharpshooting forward has agreed on a four-year, $63 million deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers via sign-and-trade, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The deal is a three-team trade that also includes the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs will receive Cedi Osman, Lamar Stevens and a second-round pick, and the Heat will also net a second-round pick. 

Strus appeared in 80 regular season games for the Heat last season -- starting in 33 of them -- and averaged 11.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists per performance while providing the team with reliable floor-spacing. 

After finishing 19th league-wide in 3-pointers made per game last season, the Cavaliers clearly placed a premium on shooting in free agency by adding both Strus and Georges Niang, who spent the past couple of years with the Philadelphia 76ers. Niang is a career 40% shooter from long range. The addition of those two players should certainly help to provide some added floor-spacing for Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and the rest of Cleveland's offense. 

Strus isn't the only key contributor from their recent run to the Finals that the Heat lost in free agency, Gabe Vincent, who was central to Miami's postseason success, signed a three-year deal to join the Los Angeles Lakers. That's often what happens though. When players are given an opportunity to shine on a bigger stage, it boosts their value and as a result, the incumbent team isn't able to keep all of their key contributors. We see it every year with teams that are able to make deep playoff runs. The Heat will now have to find a way to replace the offensive production and firepower that they lost in Strus and Vincent.