Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus will make his season debut on Friday against the Washington Wizards, barring setbacks, sources told ESPN on Wednesday.
Strus suffered an ankle sprain in training camp workouts in mid-October.
He started all 70 games he played in last season, averaging career highs in minutes, points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks and totaling the second-highest plus-minus on the Cavaliers. His return provides a major boost for their shooting and wing depth.
Strus has increased his stats across the board in every season of his career. He is entering his sixth NBA season.
The Cavaliers will now be able to deploy their most-used starting lineup from last season, when healthy, with Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Strus, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Cleveland had an 18-10 record when those five started together.