The day began early for the Cleveland Cavaliers, holding a shootaround before the first game following the All-Star break.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The day began early for the Cleveland Cavaliers, holding a shootaround before the first game following the All-Star break.
As they were preparing for the fading Chicago Bulls, General Manager David Griffin was bunkered in his office, making and taking phone calls, searching for the right piece to add to his championship roster before the 3 p.m. ET trade deadline.
His search led him back to a familiar face, Channing Frye, who the Cavs would've signed in 2014 before LeBron James' return changed the team's salary situation significantly.
Getting Frye, a player who "furthers the cause," according to Griffin, was costly.
The Cavs swapped Anderson Varejao, Jared Cunningham and a 2018 protected first-round pick for the versatile big man in a three-team deal with Portland and Orlando.
Hours later, the Cavaliers plowed through the Bulls, setting the tone for the second half of the season with a 106-95 win, a game in which the Cavs led by as many as 20 points and showed the kind of energy and defensive intensity their traded teammate.
It was the effort head coach Tyronn Lue has been demanding.
"Against a team like Chicago who's very physical, you've got to match that, or they'll beat you," James said. "And I think in the first two games we didn't match the intensity and we got beat, and today I think we answered the call."
Here are five observations:
Gone, but not forgotten - In the hallway of Quicken Loans Arena, outside the locker room, between the door to the Cavaliers' family area and the General Manager's office, is an arrangement of pictures capturing action shots of all the players.
Still hanging in its customary spot on Friday night was a photo of a floppy-haired Varejao fist pumping, showing the emotion that made him adored by fans and teammates.
Even though Varejao had been traded, there were plenty of memories left behind, making it an emotional night.
"It's going to be tough on me, just knowing what Andy meant to this organization, meant to the fan base here," Lue said. "Every time I played him, he was there. Every time I called his number he was ready to play. And just having those type of guys around -- professional, always smiling, in a good mood, always holding other guys accountable, that's just a great guy to have around. And it's a hard guy to lose."
The same sentiment was echoed by Varejao's teammates.
Anderson Varejao's photo was still hanging outside the Cleveland Cavaliers' locker room on Friday night. Chris Fedor, cleveland.com
"It hurt a lot. It hurt a lot," Kyrie Irving said after scoring 19 points. "But obviously as a professional you have to understand that's part of the business.
"Obviously he's going to be missed. I'll text him right after this and see how he's doing, make sure he's OK. But obviously as one of my vets coming in and we established a great friendship on and off the floor, like I said, I know in the city of Cleveland he'll be missed as well as in this locker room."
The Cavs will move on, of course, chasing bigger goals. And it won't be tough from a basketball perspective to replace him.
Varejao was struggling to get consistent minutes, buried on the bench for a majority of the season. In a potential Finals matchup, against Golden State, masters of small-ball, Varejao would have been out of place.
It was a decision that made smart basketball sense.
Still, for the players, Varejao's departure means a little more than an empty locker that used to stand next to Iman Shumpert.
"He's been great for me ever since I've been here," Tristan Thompson said after scoring 16 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. "Definitely looked at him as a mentor and big brother. He's helped me a lot in the tricks of the trade rebounding-wise. Definitely sad that he's gone, but we just have to keep going and keep getting better."
Varejao was known for his non-stop hustle, his smiling face and his perseverance, fighting through numerous injuries during his career, including his most recent torn Achilles, an injury that cost him the opportunity to take part in Cleveland's postseason run last season.
He exemplified everything the organization wants to be about.
"His attitude," Love said when asked what he would miss the most. "Off the court he's very sarcastic but a guy that always brought it, guy that was a professional and he's the 'Wild Thing.' A lot of this fan base really loved him and it was no different here."
Irving, who leaned on Varejao in his early days, will cling to his own memories.
"A few times in the locker room, you guys didn't see any of it, but he could barely walk and we're coming out of the locker room, he's giving it his all, whether we had a chance at the playoffs or not," Irving said. "Winning or losing, he was still the same way. He came with the same mindset."
Varejao's future - Shortly after the trade was officially announced, the Blazers waived Varejao, making him a free agent.
Per league rules, the Cavs, even if they want him back, are ineligible to re-sign him for one year.
That likely won't stop another team from showing interest, with the Atlanta Hawks being a possibility now that they are without big man Tiago Splitter.
Other contenders could also take a run at him, hoping he can spark a second unit and maybe bring much-needed experience.
"Andy can still play," Thompson said. "He's still got years left in the league. When his number was called for us, when we were in Houston he played well against Dwight (Howard) and other games when his number was called he's definitely helped us win ball games. He's still got a lot left in the tank. Whatever team picks him up is definitely going to get a great player and great person."
Varejao, 33, is in his 12th season and is on the decline. But his old teammates think he will make for a quality addition.
"I think he can bring a lot to a team whether it's him playing or him being one of those locker room guys, a guy that can come off the bench and give you a lot of energy," Love said. "I think he has a lot left in the tank."
Before getting moved, Varejao played in 31 games, averaging career-lows in minutes (10.0), points (2.6) and rebounds (2.9).
"He'll be fine. He's a smart player," Irving said. "Veteran leadership and can bring a lot to the team. That waive factor doesn't really matter and it doesn't really matter in terms of the stature and high value that I hold him at as an NBA basketball player.
"I played with him for five years. Obviously some injuries have stopped him over the last few years but anything before that, he was a high contributor to the team and the past Cavs teams and well as for us. So, still one of my good friends and like I said, he's going to be missed."
Frye's minutes - With Frye in the mix, possibly making his debut on Sunday against Oklahoma City, Lue will have to do some more roster juggling.
The Cavs traded some valuable assets for Frye. They want him to play. But that might be challenging.
"I'm not sure yet," Lue said when asked how he would use Frye. "Just wait and see when he gets here. We'll acclimate him to what we're trying to do and just going forward from there, I really don't have a vision yet."
Against Chicago, Lue used nine players, which is his normal plan. Timofey Mozgov, Matthew Dellavedova, Shumpert and Richard Jefferson came off the bench.
Given Frye's expected role and his unique skill set to play the four or five, taking minutes from Jefferson and Mozgov is most likely. Unless, of course, Lue expands his rotation to 10 guys, something he has been hesitant to do.
"I think considering the way we play with Kyrie and LeBron running a lot of pick-and-rolls and trying to keep the floor spread, I think Channing Frye gives us that," Lue said. "But also being 7-foot, he's able to also be a great post defender and he's not afraid to get his nose dirty. So it's definitely something we can use going forward and like I said, his height with his shooting ability makes it a lot better for us."
James Jones, who has fallen out of the rotation, was in Miami when the Heat morphed into a small-ball machine, using Chris Bosh at center to stretch the offense and allow Miami to switch on defense.
He understands Frye's value.
"The game has changed," Jones said. "It's all about spacing, especially when you have guys like Kyrie and LeBron and Kevin (Love) who finish very, very well when they have space. It's a big part of what we do. I think he gives us the versatility. We all understand that for us to have agile height, versatile height it's a good thing."
Added James: "We're excited to have Channing come here for sure. I think he can add something to our team, a veteran, a guy who's played some really good ball in his career, so we're excited about that."
Mozgov responds - Frustration has built for Mozgov this season and Frye's arrival could change Mozgov's role once again. But the one-time starter looked motivated Friday, determined to keep a grip on his backup spot.
The Russian center played with force, scoring 11 points and grabbing seven rebounds, including four on the offensive end. He also played 26 minutes, the most since Nov. 17, 2015.
"I think it started with Tristan and Kev, and then Timo and the other bigs came in and they did a heckuva job," James said about the physicality. "Not only defensively but offensively, rebounding and getting out on the fastbreak."
Love never believed the rumors - Despite Griffin's constant dismissal, Love's named was tossed around in trade speculation.
The power forward heard the chatter during the All-Star break, but never believed any of it.
"I mean, the same thing was said last year," Love said of the rumors. "The fact is you guys are stuck with me. I'm here. I'm happy to be here. Want to win."
With the deadline in the rearview mirror, this is the group that will spearhead Cleveland's championship quest.
The Cavs will certainly monitor which players get bought out, hoping for Brooklyn's Joe Johnson, Minnesota's Kevin Martin or another player who fits the "3-and-D" mold. But given the roster makeup, any addition will have a hard time getting off the bench.
"This is who we are going to roll with and at the end of the day, we're all we got," Love said. "Now we have to continue to get better, move forward and just come closer together as much as we can."