Lakers News: Channing Frye Says 'Respect Is Always Due' for Team's Past Success

Channing Frye may have gone from a title contender to a team in rebuild mode at the 2018 NBA trade deadline, but he doesn't view the move as a downgrade in status.

Frye went to two consecutive NBA Finals as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, helping the franchise win its first championship in 2016. However, after the Cavs had a rough time meshing following a busy offseason that featured a Kyrie Irving trade, the team decided to blow things up and retool at the deadline.

Along with two-time All-Star Isaiah Thomas, Frye was dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers in a flurry of moves by the Cavaliers. He averaged 5.8 points, 1.1 assists and 2.8 rebounds in 16.7 minutes over nine appearances in purple and gold.

The 12-year veteran—who is set to be a free agent this summer—may have been bummed to go from competing for a title to a team out of the playoffs, but he shut down any notion that the trade was a "demotion":

Los Angeles may be in the midst of a five-year playoff drought, but that doesn't change the fact that the franchise has 16 Larry O'Brien trophies, the second-most all-time.