10 Worst free agent signings in Orlando Magic history

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Channing Frye seemed like a good idea for the Orlando Magic’s rebuild. But it did not work out. At all. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

The 10 worst free agent signings in Orlando Magic history

2. Channing Frye

4 years, $32 million in 2014

Channing Frye was a good player when the Orlando Magic signed him to a four-year, $32 million deal. But he was not a great player and he proved to be a big disappointment in Orlando as he was unable to provide the veteran leadership the rebuilding team needed and checked out pretty quickly when he understood they were not ready to compete seriously.

Frye spent the year before signing with Orlando in Phoenix. He had one of his best — and healthiest — seasons in 2014, starting all 82 games and averaging 11.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.

After he arrived in Orlando, Frye’s play suddenly fell off a cliff.

In his first season in Orlando, he averaged 7.3 points per game. In his second, it was 5.2 points per game. But at least his three-point percentage stayed solid for that time.

Midway through his second season, the Magic front office decided it had had enough. The team shipped Frye to the Cleveland Cavaliers at the 2016 trade deadline, receiving back Jared Cunningham and a future second-round pick. Cunningham never played for the Magic in what became a pure salary dump.

It took mere months for Frye to add insult to the injury that was the Channing Frye experience in Orlando. Yes — that was the same year LeBron James and Kyrie Irving brought a title to Cleveland. Frye left the deflated Magic and won an NBA championship the same season.

Frye was a solid stretch big both before and after his time with the Magic. But his time in Orlando was the least productive of his entire stellar career, making his free-agent signing a big disappointment for the franchise.