Channing Frye suffers sprained MCL, return date unclear

In a cruel twist to begin their season, the biggest acquisition of the Orlando Magic's offseason has already suffered an injury.

Channing Frye sprained the MCL in his left knee in practice on Thursday. An MRI revealed no structural damage, so a return date will depend on how Frye responds to treatment.

Frye commented on the injury on Friday (via The Orlando Sentinel):

I don't know the severity. I don't really ask those questions. I feel pretty good. I know it's injured right now but at the same time, I just want to take it day-by-day. I know it's super cliche. But with knee things, especially this time of year, I don't want anything nagging. I don't want any excuses for the year.

The Magic signed Frye to a four-year, $32 million contract this offseason in hopes of adding veteran leadership and floor spacing while beginning to build some roster continuity. This is an obvious setback, especially during a preseason with several new faces trying to find a flow together, and if his absence extends to the regular season, it could make the learning curve for guards Victor Oladipo and Elfrid Payton steeper.

Generally, MCL sprains don't sideline players for more than two months, with some returning far sooner, but every player is different. Frye has an injury history but doesn't have any knee issues on record since 2006, when a sprained PCL in his left knee cut his rookie season a month short. Frye missed the entire 2012-13 season due to an enlarged heart.

Last season, Frye played a full 82-game slate, averaging 11.1 points and 5.1 rebounds for the Phoenix Suns. The 31-year-old stood as the Magic's likely starter at power forward, a role that could temporarily shift to rookie Aaron Gordon or Kyle O'Quinn.