Max Strus’ first preseason appearance with the Los Angeles Clippers ended early in Hawaii, and the guard is now set to miss the rest of camp plus the opening stretch of the 2026-27 regular season.
Strus faces four-week recovery window
- Strus was injured during the Clippers’ preseason opener against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday in Hawaii. With 7:50 left in the first quarter, he pulled up without contact, limped off the floor and did not return.
- Los Angeles announced Monday that Strus sustained a partial tear of the plantar fascia in his right foot.
- The team plans to reevaluate him in four weeks, a timetable that rules him out for the balance of the preseason and leaves him unavailable for the start of the regular season.
The Clippers begin the 2026-27 schedule at home against the Sacramento Kings on Oct. 21. Strus is one of the club’s notable absences heading toward opening night, alongside offseason addition Brandon Ingram, who is sidelined with an Achilles injury.
A difficult start after another foot setback
Strus arrived in Los Angeles after a shortened season in Cleveland. He appeared in 12 games for the Cavaliers last year, averaging 11.2 points and 5.4 rebounds, after a broken left foot kept him out for the first five months of the campaign.
The Clippers acquired the eighth-year wing from Cleveland on Aug. 20 in a five-team transaction involving the Cavaliers, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards and Denver Nuggets. He is entering the final year of his four-year contract.
For a Clippers group still sorting through its preseason rotation, Strus’ absence removes a veteran perimeter option before the regular-season work begins. His next evaluation will come roughly four weeks after the injury announcement.
