It’s official. The Peyton Watson saga is over in a massive trade.
As part of the deal, the Cavaliers are sending Tre Mann, the 2027 second-rounder from the Clippers and cash to the Washington Wizards for Cam Whitmore, sources said. The Wizards also are sending Julian Reese to the Nuggets, who will waive Reese off his two-way deal.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 20, 2026
Mann fills a… https://t.co/8YzgVqheoy
Several teams were involved, but in the end, the LA Clippers missed out on Watson, who is headed to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and landed Max Strus, a seven-year veteran. While acquiring Strus will help Tyronn Lue’s rotation significantly, particularly in the department of three-point shooting where they struggled last season, he doesn’t do the Clippers any justice, as the last thing they needed was another high-end role player in a rotation filled with them.
Strus joins the long list of names, such as Kris Dunn, Bradley Beal, Jordan Miller, Kobe Sanders, Derrick Jones Jr., and Gradey Dick (pending trade), who will all be competing with each other for minutes next season.
This doesn’t even include Bennedict Mathurin, as he is someone the Clippers’ front office is desperately trying to bring back in restricted free agency.
LA trading for Strus helps, but will also force valuable players out of the rotation
The LA Clippers did not ask for Max Strus from the Cleveland Cavaliers for nothing. They wanted him specifically, primarily due to his track record of high-volume, efficient three-point shooting, which helps the Clippers, who desperately need it in the rotation.
For context, Strus is a career 37.0% three-point shooter on 6.3 attempts. And, last season, the Clippers were pretty efficient as a team, shooting 36.8%, but they were 23rd in the league in attempts, with just 33.8 per game. The former undrafted free agent solves that issue right away.
In the same breath, with Strus playing heavy minutes nightly, as he will need to, Lue will have to cut the playing time of multiple players to practically nothing.
The most likely of the bunch are Kris Dunn, Gradey Dick if the trade involving Kawhi Leonard goes through, and Jordan Miller.
Though these three players are extremely valuable in their own areas, and deserve to be on the court as much as possible, they may receive the short end of the stick from Lue and his staff.
Could their minutes see an increase mid-season? Possibly, which is why they must stay ready at all times if/when their name gets called.
That said, bringing on Strus from the Cavaliers was smart. He’s on an expiring contract, making the move look even better, yet because he is another key player the Clippers need, adding him makes the current problem worse.
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