NBA Rumors: Breaking Down Channing Frye Trade Buzz Ahead of Regular Season

The Orlando Magic's rebuild has been characterized by a youth movement, but the team deviated from that trend two summers ago by signing stretch 4 Channing Frye to a four-year, $32 million deal. 

But after one season of that experiment, the Magic appear ready to admit they made a mistake. According to Grantland's Zach Lowe, "sources around the league say Channing Frye is available now for very little, though Magic officials deny it."

If the 6'11", 255-pound Frye is in fact available, it wouldn't exactly come as a surprise. 

For one, the 32-year-old struggled during his first season in Florida, averaging 7.3 points and 3.9 rebounds on 39.2 percent shooting from the field and 39.3 percent shooting from three. During his inaugural stint with the Magic, Frye was also barely a net positive on offense while operating as a major deterrent to Orlando's defense. 

To wit: Orlando's offensive rating just barely moved from 99.3 to 99.9 when Frye was on the floor. And on defense, the team allowed 4.2 points more per 100 possessions with the stretchy shooter trying to defend more physically imposing power forwards.

Fully aware of his struggles in a new scheme, Frye admitted he was ready to put last year behind him and impress with a resurgent 2015-16 season. 

"You're gonna see a better version of me," Frye said, per OrlandoMagic.com's John Denton on Twitter. "I have a lot to prove and I’m here to put the work in."

However, an improved Frye wouldn't necessarily be the best thing for an Orlando team that's looking to develop a wealth of young talent. 

Namely, Orlando is looking for 2014 No. 4 overall pick Aaron Gordon to make significant strides during his second year in pinstripes. Gordon's rookie season was limited to 47 appearances because of a fractured bone in his left foot, and he couldn't get into a consistent offensive rhythm as a result. 

But as the former Arizona standout demonstrated during summer league, he could be the favorite to start at the 4 thanks to an improved jumper and tremendous physical tools that allow him to guard multiple positions. 

"I have a whole year under my belt now," Gordon said, per Denton. "Last year was about being comfortable with being uncomfortable. This year, I’m a lot more comfortable and that just makes everything easier for me."

Season Segment	PPG	RPG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%
2014-15 Regular Season	5.2	3.6	0.4	0.5	44.7%	27.1%
2015 Summer League	21.7	2.5	1.3	1.7	50.0%	50.0%

Orlando is aiming to maximize upside. And for as much as Gordon has, Frye's supply is seemingly tapped out after nine seasons in the NBA. 

"The reality is Frye fits a role in the NBA, but mostly as a stretch 5 off the bench," Pro Basketball Talk's Kurt Helin wrote. "He’s no starter at the 4 because he can’t defend that spot, but in a limited role off the bench—playing pick-and-pop near the top of the key where he can set up for his best shot—he has value."

Finding a team to eat the final three years and $23.4 million on Frye's deal prior to the season won't be easy, so the Magic may have to embrace a timeshare at power forward for the foreseeable future. 

But if Orlando can find a way to unload him around the trade deadline to a team in need of an additional floor-spacer for a future draft pick of minimal value, both sides would emerge as winners. Frye could benefit from a fresh start with a team that has a need for his niche skill set, and sooner or later the Magic will need to carve out more minutes for a player they hope develops into a foundational building block. 

All statistics courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com. All salary information courtesy of Spotrac.com.