NBA Trade Rumors 2016: Cavs Get Channing Frye from the Magic, Anderson Varejao Headed to Orlando
The Cleveland Cavaliers may have acquired the best player they can get right before the trade deadline, with sweet-shooting big man Channing Frye coming aboard from Orlando. The trade that was completed last Thursday actually involved three teams, with Portland as the third participant.
In exchange for Frye, the Trail Blazers received Brazilian center Anderson Varejao and a conditional first-round pick, while Orlando got backup guard Jared Cunningham from the Cavs and a future second-round pick from Portland.
However, the Blazers immediately placed Varejao on waivers right after the deal was consummated, while Frye did not travel with the Cavaliers because he hasn't been medically cleared. This is an interesting progress considering the fact that he was once diagnosed with a heart condition that forced him to miss games several years ago.
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Later, Cavaliers superstar LeBron James talked about how sad it was to see one of this closest teammates sent to another team. "When you lose a brother, lose a teammate, that's the worst part about it," he said, talking about the need to let Varejao go as part of the business of basketball.
Meanwhile, the deal also allowed Cleveland to make room for a new trade exception that's worth exactly $9.6 million. They now can easily assume Frye's salary of $8.2 million, which also means that the Magic are looking at it as a great advantage considering that they no longer have to take back any part of the big man's salary. Everyone knows the Magic is trying to free some of its salary cap in the hope of landing a big-time free agent this summer.
Frye is one of the most versatile big men in the NBA right now. Standing at 6-foot-11, he can spread the floor with his accurate three-point shooting. Although he has been struggling with Orlando this season, he showed his potential in becoming a major contributor during his stint in Phoenix, where he had a better scoring average of 11.4 points and 5.7 rebounds in four years with the team.
His addition to the reigning Eastern Conference champs is an intriguing one, too. With him spotting up for three-point opportunities, the paint will no longer be clogged with defensive players; so James, Kyrie Irving, and even Kevin Love get more room to operate and drive inside.
While the Cavs would have opted for someone like Kyle Korver or a more consistent outside shooter, the 10-year veteran in Frye is good enough for James and Irving to kick out to whenever they're met with resistance inside the paint.
