The chase for veteran forward Channing Frye paid off for the Cleveland Cavaliers as they added the shooter from the Orlando Magic ahead of the deadline, marking the end of the their relationship with long time center Anderson Varejão.
To get Frye, the Cavs parted ways with Varejão who was sent to the Portland Trail Blazers together with a protected 2018 first-round pick.
However, the veteran center will not see action for the Blazers as he was placed on waivers.
Cleveland then dealt reserve guard Jared Cunningham with a second-round pick acquired from the Blazers to Orlando to complete the three-team trade deal.
Previous reports stated that the Cavaliers along with the Los Angeles Clippers, who seemed very close to completing the deal, were targeting Frye before the deadline last Thursday.
In the end, it was the Cavaliers who succeeded in getting the 32-year-old forward who still has two years left in his existing contract before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2018.
Frye joins the Cavs' group of shooters and can boost their bench production which is an issue for them this 2015–16 National Basketball Association (NBA) season.
In 44 games (29 starts) played for Orlando, Frye is averaging 5.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and one assist in 17.1 minutes of action per outing.
Frye's shooting will help the Cavaliers space the floor and have better scoring opportunities once he is deployed by head coach Tyronn Lue.
Along with his skills on the floor, Frye's experience in the league and in the postseason will be beneficial to Cleveland once the playoffs begin.
The Cavaliers are expected to enter the postseason as the top seed in the Eastern Conference and are also heavy favorites to win the conference championship for the second consecutive season.
Cleveland is the top team in the East with a 39–14 record and is currently on a four-game winning streak.
