Shortly after their first-round exit from the playoffs, Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman made it clear that the franchise's priority this summer would be simple: find more shooting .
And on that notion, the Cavs have acted fast. On Friday, the team re-signed Caris LeVert and signed Georges Niang to multi-year deals.
They made another splash Saturday morning, as free agent guard Max Strus agreed to a four-year, $63 million deal via a three-team sign-and-trade with the Cavs, according to an ESPN report.
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In full, the Cavs are acquiring Strus in a three-team deal that will also send Cedi Osman , Lamar Stevens and a future second-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs and a future second-round pick to the Miami Heat .
Shooting was the Cavs' target this offseason. Niang and now Strus both fit that profile.
Strus is a career 37.1 percent shooter from 3-point range and was at times a key part of the Miami Heat offense. Last season, he averaged a career-high 11.5 points per game and helped the Heat reach the NBA Finals, though he did run into a cold stretch late in the playoffs. But as he helped the Heat pull off consecutive upsets during their run to the Finals, his stock rose, and it became clear that Miami would have difficulty keeping him on the roster.
The Cavs, meanwhile, wouldn't have had the financial flexibility to add Strus to an agreeable deal without the sign-and-trade. Osman, Stevens and the two second-round picks were necessary to facilitate Strus' deal.
Strus, 6-5, could slide into the starting small forward role, with Isaac Okoro coming off the bench and offering more defensive-minded option in needed situations. Keeping LeVert will allow the Cavs some flexibility between the 2-3 positions as well, and it became clear last season that keeping him in the second unit was more advantageous, as he was at his best with the ball in his hands instead of always playing third fiddle to Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland .
Niang, a 6-7 forward, is a career 40-percent shooter from 3-point range and gives the Cavs a big man to spread the floor a bit more behind Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen .
Free agent guard Ty Jerome has agreed to a two-year, $5 million deal with the Cavs, according to an ESPN report.
Jerome, 6-5, averaged 6.9 points and 3.0 assists in 18.1 minutes per game with the Golden State Warriors last season. He shot 48.8 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from 3-point range, and makes up some of the depth after Osman and Stevens were needed to be jettisoned to bring in Strus.
Jerome was a teammate of Mitchell's when they were eight or nine years old and playing for the Riverside Hawks AAU program based in Harlem.
The Cavs acquired center Damian Jones from the Utah Jazz in a salary dump trade. The Cavs are absorbing Jones' $2.6 million deal.
Jones, who turned 28 on Friday and stands 6-11, averaged 3.5 points and 3.0 rebounds in 11.6 minutes per game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Jazz last season.
Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ByRyanLewis .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Cavaliers Max Strus agree to four-year deal in sign-and-trade
