The Cleveland Cavaliers have reportedly set their sights on Orlando Magic power forward Channing Frye. The Cavs have offered Anderson Varejao for Frye but the Magic have reportedly rejected the deal.
That does not mean that the trade is completely off, however. According to Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the two sides are still talking and hoping to involve a third team. The main holding point is that the Magic do not want to take in Varejao’s contract, which is guaranteed for nearly 19 million dollars through next season. If the Cavs are able to find a third team to take Varejao’s deal (possibly the Blazers or Sixers) in exchange for picks or cash, the trade could still happen.
This is an interesting trade scenario for the Cavs and it could signal the start of something bigger. Frye has a similar skillset to Kevin Love, so there is a chance that the Cavs already have a deal in place to move Love should they be able to trade for Frye. The Celtics have been rumored to be enamored with Love for a long time and a package involving either or both Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder could be very useful for Cleveland.
Meanwhile, the Clippers are still interested in Frye with a package including Lance Stephenson, CJ Wilcox, and a second round pick on the table. However, as reported yesterday, the Clippers are holding out hope for a bigger trade involving Stephenson. According to Woj, LAC has asked the Magic to wait until Thursday morning before finalizing the deal.
The Magic seem intent on trading away Frye’s contract in order to clear up cap space, as well as open up playing time for younger players. As a stretch four or five, Frye is coveted across the league, especially considering his price tag is lower than that of Ryan Anderson, another highly coveted player.
