Max Strus to Miss Start of Clippers Season With Torn Plantar Fascia

The Los Angeles Clippers will open the 2026-27 season without Max Strus after the team announced Monday that the veteran guard suffered a partial tear of the plantar fascia in his right foot. Strus was injured less than five minutes into Sunday’s preseason opener against the Golden State Warriors in Hawaii, pulling up on a non-contact play before limping to the locker room. He will be reevaluated in four weeks, a timetable that rules him out for the remainder of the preseason and the start of the regular season.

The setback is especially frustrating for Strus after an injury-shortened final season in Cleveland. He appeared in only 12 games last season after recovering from a broken left foot, averaging 11.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 40.2 percent from three. The Clippers acquired him in August as part of a five-team trade, adding another proven floor spacer to a roster already dealing with several health questions.

Los Angeles opens the regular season October 21 against Sacramento, so Strus will miss opening night for a third consecutive season. The larger concern is how quickly he can regain rhythm once cleared. With fellow offseason addition Brandon Ingram also sidelined, the Clippers’ depth will be tested earlier than expected.