The landscape of the Eastern Conference has changed dramatically over the past few months. It began with Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics rupturing his right Achilles in the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers did the same in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. Both stars are expected to miss the entire 2025-26 season, leaving the conference wide open for another contender to rise.
Knowing this, Atlanta made it their mission to improve around the margins this offseason, cementing themselves as one of the teams who could make some noise. General Manager Onsi Saleh brought in several new faces to an already dangerous Hawks roster. Kristaps Porzingis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Luke Kennard and Asa Newell headline what was an incredible display of aggressiveness during a vital summer.
Another team set to benefit from the Tatum and Haliburton injuries is the Cleveland Cavaliers. Last season, Cleveland was at the top of the conference standings with an impressive 64-18 record. This historic season was cut short, however, when the Cavaliers were upset in round two by the Indiana Pacers.
It was a brutal end to an otherwise incredible season for the organization. Still though, hope remains high in Cleveland due to the landscape of the conference. That optimism could be misguided, though, as their offseason moves for injury-prone veterans (Lonzo Ball and Larry Nance Jr.) did not factor in potential significant injuries to key players already in their rotation.
Tough news for Cavs fans broke Tuesday afternoon. According to ESPN's Shams Charania, "Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus underwent surgery to repair a Jones fracture in his left foot sustained during recent offseason workout and will miss approximately 3 to 4 months."
Strus's injury has ramifications for both the Hawks and De'Andre Hunter
Max Strus is the starter at small forward for the Cavaliers. As Hawks fans have seen first-hand, De'Andre Hunter thrives off the bench, and now he will be forced into Cleveland's starting lineup for a large portion of the season.
Four months from today is December 25th. Cleveland will likely be without their key forward until Christmas. In those first few months of the season, the Atlanta Hawks will play the Cavaliers twice. The first matchup between the two teams is on November 2nd, with the next coming on November 28th for NBA Cup Group Play. The final two matchups will take place in 2026, with Strus set to return by then.
Not having Max Strus for two crucial games against the Hawks is a major blow for Cleveland. In four games against the Hawks as a member of the Cavs, Strus averaged 11.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.3 steals on solid efficiency. He also had a total +/- of +66 in those four games, where Cleveland went 4-0.
Strus is a real difference maker for Cleveland when suiting up against the Hawks, and not having him for their first two matchups will be a big advantage in Atlanta's favor.