Frye: Cavs weren't built to sacrifice for each other
Something was clearly wrong with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Channing Frye believes the team's problem was its chemistry on the court, not off of it.
The struggling club flipped half its roster ahead of Thursday's trade deadline following a 31-22 start. Frye, who was shipped to the Los Angeles Lakers as part of the shakeup, reflected Saturday on why the pieces didn't fit in Cleveland.
"I think it just wasn't working," Frye told ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk. "I don't think it was a chemistry off the court thing because I went and talked to those guys all the time.
"I just think on the court, there just wasn't enough give and take. I don't think we were built to sacrifice for each other. I think a lot of guys had success in different systems. There wasn't enough time for them to adjust to doing it a certain way, and that happens."
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The Cavs entered the season with eight new faces, including Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Dwyane Wade, and Derrick Rose. They contributed to an old, flawed roster that had the second-worst defense and dropped 14 of 21 games, leading to finger-pointing, a heated team meeting, and constant leaks from the locker room.
None of the players listed remained on the squad past the deadline.
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"You gotta put all these different personalities and groups together, it sometimes just doesn't work out," added Frye, who joined the Cavaliers in 2016 and helped them win their first-ever championship.
The veteran big man was dealt to the Lakers with Thomas and Cleveland's 2018 first-round pick in exchange for Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr.