Max Strus suffered a Jones fracture on his left foot in late August. Initially, the timeline was shaping up that he would make a return to the floor within three to four months. Well, here we are in March, and Strus is reportedly going to make his long-awaited return shortly.

In a story posted on The Athletic by Joe Vardon highlighting Max Strus’s community work in Cleveland, an injury update was hidden between the lines. Vardon wrote that Strus could be returning to the court “within the next week.”

Reintegrating someone like Strus is a good problem to have, as his ability on ball combined with his perimeter shooting is a boon for any team. With the Cavaliers making serious moves at the deadline, there are a lot of things that have changed since Strus last donned the Wine and Gold.

There are many interesting lineup combinations and questions that bringing Strus back in the fold introduces. How will the Cavaliers balance ramping Strus back up to playing shape while also configuring the bench minutes for the postseason? How will Strus play with James Harden, and will it benefit Strus to have Harden setting up the opportunities?

The obvious question is whose minutes will be impacted the most by the return of Strus? The Cavaliers’ wing room currently has many players who feel they deserve playing time, with Jaylon Tyson, Keon Ellis, Dean Wade, Nae’Qwan Tomlin, and now Max Strus. Tomlin has already been weaned out of his minutes over the last month or so. Where does Strus land in that pecking order?

These are fascinating and important decisions for the Cavaliers’ coaching staff as they prepare for the postseason.

Strus has remained a frequent topic of discussion despite his absence this season. In many ways, he has been viewed as the final missing piece of this version of the Cavaliers. With his return now on the horizon, the team will finally move beyond the hypothetical scenario of what this roster could look like at full strength.

That’s always been a lot of expectation to place on the return of one player.

Still, Strus has previously established himself as an emotional and competitive tone-setter for the Cavaliers. Regardless of what his on-court production looks like over the final stretch of the season, his presence could prove to be a meaningful addition as Cleveland turns its focus toward its postseason ambitions.