Max Strus
Before becoming Jimmy Butler’s flipping-the-bird partner, Max Strus was a Chicago kid, watching Butler grow into a star for the Bulls. However, Strus only received one Division-1 offer and instead decided to play Division-2 ball at Lewis University where he had two successful seasons. From there, he caught the attention of DePaul, a Division-1 college, and was described as “one of the top Division II players in the country” by head coach Dave Leitao.
He showed out for DePaul, averaging 18.6 points and 5.8 rebounds and though he didn’t see himself as an NBA prospect, Leitao called him into his office and encouraged him that he was NBA ready and to change his goals accordingly. Strus followed his coach’s advice but was undrafted in the 2019 NBA draft. The Boston Celtics were the first ones to give him a chance, adding him to their Summer League team, and was good enough to sign a two-way contract with them. However, it all came falling down whenever the Celtics added Javonte Green as well as Tacko Fall which ultimately led to the C’s cutting Strus.
His hometown Chicago Bulls gave him a second chance, signing him to another two-way contract. Just as things were looking up for Strus, disaster struck once again. He suffered a torn ACL and bone bruise to his left knee, forcing him to miss all but two games of the 2019-20 season and lost his spot with the Bulls.
The Heat, with their development program and staff, had their eyes on the recovering Strus and after workouts, signed him to a two-way contract in December 2020. Like the others, he took time to adjust and fit in with Heat Culture and Spoelstra gave him more minutes throughout his Heat career. Initially given 13 minutes per game, he has been a key part of the Heat’s playoff runs the past two seasons, becoming a starter and contributing 10-plus points per game.
From being cut on roster spots to an ACL injury, Strus has embodied hard work and Heat Culture and it has rewarded him with a starting spot for a Heat team that finds themselves in the Finals.