Cavaliers add Channing Frye,lose the "WIld Thing"

The Cleveland Cavaliers attempted to add another weapon to the offense and yet shed salary as well as the team worked a three way trade to add Channing Frye from the Orlando Magic.
The cost to gain Frye and drop a contract was sending the Wild Thing-Anderson Varejao and their 2018 first rounder to Portland and Jared Cunningham to the Magic.

First,let's talk about the departures.
I always liked Anderson Varejao,his always happy attitude and the effort/hustle that came with his frenetic play.
Varejao wasn't afraid to do the dirty work and would be fearless in hitting the floor for loose balls.
However,he was extremely overpaid and still had two more years on the extension that he signed.
Considering that and the constant questions of could Varejao stay healthy for an entire season and it's easy to see why Cleveland selected Varejao to be the player that was moved.
It's sad when you consider all that the Brazilian had done for the franchise,but in the end-it is a business and the trade makes sense even if it was just done for the financial reasons,which it wasn't.
I also liked Cunningham in his limited action,which had dwindled to next to nothing over the last month or so,but there are always the guys on the lower end of the pay scale that make these deals work with the salary cap.

As for Channing Frye,he brings a unique set of skills and I was surprised to see that he is 32 and in his tenth year in the league.
I figured he was 28 and maybe six or seven years played,but it's true,..
Frye is under a reasonable contract at under eight million for each of the next two seasons and can play the four or five (although you might want to carefully spot his time at center) defensively.
The description most seen yesterday of Frye was of being a "Stretch 4",which basically means that he is a finesse' player that has effective shooting range out past the three point line.
The 6'11 Frye is shooting over 39% from behind that line,so he clearly is effective there and brings the Cavaliers yet another offensive weapon to their cache'.

One can argue that the Cavaliers still lack a true bruiser other than Timofey Mozgov and I'd agree.
The Cavaliers clearly are attempting to build a roster filled with players with varied offensive skills with a plan of attacking whatever team comes out of the West with a barrage of offense.
Channing Frye brings something unique and in adding this piece,Cleveland dropped salary.
It makes good sense on the floor and off the floor,although I'm sad to see the Wild Thing go after 12 years.

I plan on being back later with a brief description of where I've been over the last week....