A new report indicates that Miami Heat shooting guard Max Strus could end up signing a lucrative new deal when he enters the free agent market after this season.
Sean Deveney of Heavy.com looked at how Strus’ Game 1 performance against the Boston Celtics could enhance his ability to garner the best deal possible.
“Projections around the league had Strus commanding a contract similar to what Caleb Martin got last year for the Heat—three years, $20 million,” Deveney wrote. “But Strus’ early inconsistency had some questioning just how much Miami would want him back, and how much of a market there would be for him.”
In Wednesday night’s victory, Strus scored 15 points and grabbed three rebounds. The scoring effort marked the sixth straight game in which he’s scored in double figures and the seventh time he’s gone past that threshold this postseason.
Those numbers are also an improvement from Strus’ regular season averages this year of 11.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, the best of his four seasons in the league.
Strus’ ability to obtain a new deal of the magnitude mentioned would mark the latest step in an NBA career that began in modest fashion. In 2019, he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Celtics but was released just three months later.
From there, Strus signed a two-way deal with the Chicago Bulls, playing in just two games during his brief time in the Windy City.
In November 2020, Strus signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Heat and after that was quickly converted to a two-way deal, he came off the bench in 39 regular season games that season. That was followed by 16 starts in his 68 games during last year’s regular season.
In the 2022 playoffs, Strus was part of a Heat starting lineup that nearly reached last year’s finals. That run was cut short by a loss in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Even before this season’s playoffs began, Strus played a pivotal role in helping the Heat avoid an exit during the play-in portion of the schedule. In the victory over the Chicago Bulls, he connected on seven of his 12 three-point attempts in a clutch performance.
Delivering in crucial situations undoubtedly gets the attention of other executives across the league. Whether it compels those individuals to make a healthy contract to offer to Strus remains to be seen.
For now, Strus is keeping his focus on the court with Game 2 of the Heat’s series against the Celtics set to take place on Friday night.