The Cleveland Cavaliers were winners at the trade deadline, after acquiring Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis, but the biggest move of them all was getting James Harden from the Los Angeles Clippers. Both the Clippers and Cavs came out of the deal with what they wanted, and Harden can focus on trying to help his new team win a championship.
Outside of the trade, many people wanted to know what number Harden would wear with the Cavs, and it was reported by Etienne Catalan that he’ll wear the No. 1. That means he’ll be wearing Max Strus’ number, and there’s speculation that he may have paid him for the number.
Harden started wearing No. 1 when he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers and hasn’t stopped since. The reason he started wearing it in Philadelphia was that the number was retired in honor of Wilt Chamberlain. He must have gotten used to the number, and it might be something he decides to wear for the rest of his career if he goes elsewhere after the Cavs.
It’s uncertain what number Strus will be wearing now, and he may have some time to think about it since he hasn’t played this season yet. Strus suffered a Jones fracture during offseason training and is still recovering from the injury, and at the beginning of January, it was reported that he would be out another month.
That means that he should be close to returning, but the Cavs are probably giving him all the time he needs so he can come back fully healthy.
For the time being, the Cavs have the pieces to win while he’s still sidelined, and it will be interesting to see what his role is when he returns. Last season, Strus averaged 9.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 5o games, starting 37 of them.