Channing Frye is back on the Cleveland Cavaliers after he verbally agreed to a 1-year, 2.4 million deal with the team Saturday afternoon. Frye was part of the championship team in 2016 and played a vital role off the bench, being able to stretch the floor as a tall power forward who can consistently knock down the 3-ball.
Frye was acquired right before the trade deadline in 2016 from the Orlando Magic and in their championship season, averaged 7.5 PPG and 3.6 RPG across 26 games played during the regular season. He was a favorite in the locker-room by all of his teammates and is clearly still loved by them as Kevin Love took to his Instagram story to welcome back his old friend. Love posted a picture of Frye with the caption saying “BOOOOOOOOOOO THIS MAN.” Clearly their friendship hasn’t waned after Frye was traded to the Lakers as part of a package for Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr.
Frye’s style of offense worked very well for LeBron James, as Frye, being a power forward, would usually draw the opposing team’s power forward out of the paint, allowing LeBron to drive to the rack without a big body in the paint to help defend him. And if the opposing team’s power forward did try to stop James on the drive, he would always be able to kick the ball out to Channing, who would now be wide open for a jump shot.
However, this Cavalier’s team no longer has The King. But that doesn’t mean that Frye is no longer going to be a valuable asset. First, he brings veteran experience with him, as this will be his 14th season in the league and will be able to teach his wisdom and knowledge of the game to the younger players on the roster. Second, he’s been coached by Tyronn Lue before and has played with many of the current players on the Cavs roster, so the chemistry is already existent. And third, he’s still a deadly shooter, as he’s been his whole career. He shoots 38.7% from 3-point land for his whole career and 44.2% from the field. And his offensive talents from the LeBron days are still here, including getting himself open for easy buckets both in the paint and on the 3-point line.
On top of all, he was a fan favorite during his 3 seasons with Cleveland, as he always had a sense of humor with his teammates. The fans will once again get to enjoy the light-hearted Frye for the next season.
The deal itself isn’t a burden on the Cavs, despite not having a lot of cap space to start with. He is a brilliant acquisition for what the Cavs look to do moving forward, and they worked well with the limited amount of spending money they had to sign a player like Channing Frye.
Frye himself showcased his humor, as he announced his return via Instagram by posting a photo of himself in a Cavs uniform with the caption “Well i guess this is hello again.” We, as Cavs fans, are thrilled to have you back on the team and can’t wait to see what you do for us next year.
Feature Image via Dreamstime/Jordan Ueltschy
