Clippers wing Max Strus suffered a partial plantar‑fascia tear in his right foot during Sunday’s preseason opener – can the club afford to lose him now?He’ll be reevaluated in four weeks, reports sideline reporter Ohm Youngmisuk.
He’ll sit out the remainder of preseason and is expected to miss the season’s start. Four weeks lands on Nov 2, when L.A. hosts Toronto for its seventh 2026/27 regular‑season game.
The injury hurts a player still shaking off a Jones fracture that kept him out most of last year. After finally debuting in March, he logged 12 games and appeared in every one of Cleveland’s 18 playoff contests.
Los Angeles traded a future second‑rounder to Washington for Strus, using the John Collins trade exception to absorb his $16.7 MM salary and sending the Cavs rights to Ismael Kamagate.
In his three Cleveland seasons, the 30‑year‑old averaged 11.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists on .428/.368/.800 shooting in 132 games, starting 112 of them. For my money, those numbers prove his reliability.
He started the preseason opener versus Golden State and went down in the first quarter of the eventual win.
With Strus, Jordan Miller (shoulder surgery) and Brandon Ingram (Achilles issue) out, the Clippers’ wing depth is thin. Keaton Wagler, Bradley Beal and Gradey Dick could see more minutes. If the wing shortage persists, can the Clippers spark an unexpected breakout?