In the fall of 2020, Max Strus and his agent were the ones making the sales pitch.
Strus, an undrafted player out of DePaul by way of Lewis College, started his NBA career with the Celtics’ Summer League team in 2019. After being cut by Boston at the end of training camp, the Illinois native then signed with his hometown Bulls, making only two appearances for the club. In December of that year, he tore his ACL during a G League game.
So when it came time to find a team after recovering from surgery, Strus had to be the one to market himself.
“I was trying to find a camp spot; I was trying to get an Exhibit 10,” Strus says. “Myself and my agent were the ones reaching out to people and calling them.”
Strus found a training camp invite with the Heat, which eventually became a two-way contract in December 2020 before he was signed to a two-year, minimum deal in ’21. After three seasons total with Miami—and after starting every playoff game for the team the last two years—Strus was a free agent this summer, and once again hoping for a contract.
Except this time it was Strus who was receiving the calls. And from none other than All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, who were recruiting him to the Cavaliers. Eventually it was Strus’s agent, calling with a robust offer: a four-year deal worth $62 million.