The Cleveland Cavaliers have been looking for another big with range and were rumored to want either Ryan Anderson or Channing Frye.

In trading for Frye, the Cavs accomplished two nice objectives: They get the stretch 4 they wanted, and they also cleared away the last mostly guaranteed year of Anderson Varejao. Frye will fit in nicely around Kevin Love, Timofey Mozgov, and Tristan Thompson in the Cleveland big rotation. It should certainly allowed Cleveland to put shooting on the floor at all spots around LeBron James when necessary. 

A top 10 protected first in 2018 or 2019 may seem steep, but getting a big that can shoot and dumping Varejao, who had little value, is a clear win for Cleveland. Jared Cunningham had no value for Cleveland and wasn’t going to have an impact any further this year. The real impact will be on Cleveland’s chemistry. 

The Cavaliers also save money on their luxury tax bill.

Grade for Cavaliers: A-

The Magic are obviously clearing the deck and moving on from regrettable deals. First it was Tobias Harris and now Channing Frye. The Magic are prioritizing the ability to have enough cap space this summer to chase any FA or any trades available. Giving Harris and Frye the deals they got was probably a mistake, but moving on quickly was smart. 

Getting a second rounder for Channing Frye seems like a fair price. This deal was all about clearing cap space, so it really can’t be fully judged until we see what the Magic do with that space this summer. Cunningham will reportedly be waived and he will never play for the Magic.

Grade for Magic: C+

The Trail Blazers, by virtue of having the most available cap space in the league by far, jump in and help the Cavaliers and Magic out and eat Anderson Varejao’s contract. Varejao seems a lock to be bought out by Portland, as he fills no need for them. Getting a First Round pick, even a protected one, is a coup for doing essentially nothing but getting closer to the Salary Floor. I’m sure Paul Allen doesn’t mind paying out the money to get the asset and earn some goodwill. Neil Olshey has had a great run from the offseason to now in rebuilding the Blazers on the fly. One minor piece to this deal is that the Blazers will apparently waive Tim Frazier. He was playing some as a backup point guard. Seemed more likely that Luis Montero would go.

Grade for Trail Blazers: A