Clippers wing Max Strus sustained a partial tear of the plantar fascia in his right foot during Sunday’s preseason opener and will be reevaluated in four weeks, tweets team sideline reporter Ohm Youngmisuk. 

In addition to missing the rest of the preseason, Strus also projects to be sidelined for the start of the regular season. Exactly four weeks from today is November 2, which is when Los Angeles will host Toronto for its seventh regular season game of 2026/27.

It’s a brutal blow for Strus, who missed most of last season while recovering from a Jones fracture in his left foot, which required surgery in August 2025. He didn’t make his 2025/26 debut until mid-March, making 12 regular season appearances down the stretch and playing in all 18 of Cleveland’s playoff games last spring.

Los Angeles sent out a future second-round pick to Washington to acquire Strus from the Cavaliers as part of a five-team trade. The Clippers used their John Collins trade exception to take on Strus’ $16.7MM cap hit without sending a player out in return (they also sent the Cavs the draft rights to Ismael Kamagate, a former second-rounder).

Strus, 30, was a key rotation player for the Cavs when healthy and played a similar role for Miami for a couple seasons before that. In his three years with Cleveland, he averaged 11.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists on .428/.368/.800 shooting splits in 132 regular season contests, including 112 starts (28.8 minutes per game).

Strus, who’s extension-eligible through June 30, 2027, is on an expiring contract. He started Sunday’s preseason opener vs. Golden State and suffered the non-contact injury in the first quarter of the eventual victory.

With Strus, Jordan Miller (left shoulder surgery) and Brandon Ingram (partially torn Achilles) all sidelined, the Clippers are a little thin on the wing. Keaton Wagler, Bradley Beal and Gradey Dick are among the candidates for more playing time in the short term.