Photo: YouTube

Max Strus has built a seven-year NBA career by embracing a narrower role rather than trying to prove he can do everything on the court. The veteran wing recently explained that making it in the league required him to accept that he no longer had the offensive “bag” he developed in college.

“I don’t have a bag. I used to have a bag back in college, but I don’t anymore because you find what your niche is and you just go at it,” Strus said, via Josh Chambers.

For Strus, that niche began with his shooting. He recognized that his ability to space the floor could get him onto the court, while his willingness to defend, rebound and make winning plays could keep him there.

“I knew shooting the basketball was going to get me on the floor, and then I knew playing defense was going to keep me on the floor,” Strus said. “I’ll guard the best player. I don’t care. They’re going to score on me because everybody’s that good. You can’t really stop anybody anyway.”

That mindset has allowed Strus to contribute even when he is not heavily involved offensively. He emphasized that his value cannot depend solely on how many shots he takes.

“So it’s like, how can I make it as tough as possible on them? I don’t need to shoot the ball. I’m all right. I can do other things that I know are helping the team win. How can I make Donovan Mitchell better? How can I make James Harden better? How can I make Jarrett Allen better?” Strus said.

He also pointed to offensive rebounding as an example of making an impact without demanding touches.

“If I feel like I haven’t gotten a shot, it’s like, all right, go crash the offensive rebound and get it. I’m not going to sit here and cry to myself about not shooting the ball or not being involved. Make yourself useful,” Strus said.

That approach dates back to his early years with the Miami Heat, where Strus said his responsibilities were deliberately simple.

“My first couple years [in Miami], I don’t think I dribbled the ball once. Come off a handoff and shoot, come off a screen and shoot, and then defend and rebound. That’s all I did,” he said.

Strus eventually expanded his responsibilities as he earned greater trust from his coaches and teammates.

“As you continue to build more confidence within the team, within the coach, they put you in positions where, all right, now I can do a little bit more,” he said.

Strus entered the NBA with Chicago in 2019-20, appearing in two games, before establishing himself in Miami. He averaged 10.6 points and shot 41.0% from three-point range in 68 games in 2021-22, then posted 11.5 points in 80 games the following season.

His role expanded further after joining Cleveland, where he started all 70 games he played in 2023-24 while averaging 12.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists. He also shot 35.1% from three-point range that season.

Strus averaged 9.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 50 games for Cleveland in 2024-25. In his limited 2025-26 action, he averaged 11.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 40.2% from three.

The Clippers acquired Strus from Cleveland in an August multi-team trade involving Denver. He enters Los Angeles after averaging 10.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists over 321 career games, with a 37.0% career mark from three-point range.

For Strus, accepting a reduced role has not meant giving up on his ability to contribute offensively. Instead, he believes the key is remaining ready for the moments when more is required.

“You’ve got to have the humbleness to humble yourself to, ‘I’m not that guy anymore. I can’t be that guy anymore.’ But then be ready for the opportunity when it does come, ‘No, I could still be that guy. That’s just not what we need right now. But when we do, I got you,’” Strus said.