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JARRID Frye had lost his mojo and with that, his role as an import with Adelaide 36ers – his departure mixed with some sadness in much the same vein as Jesse Sanders at Sydney.

Just as the Kings had to make room for Sam Young and sacrificed The Colonel - a popular player within the team and a solid NBL import - the blow in Adelaide for 36ers fans is they never saw Frye at his best.

Perth Wildcats did, especially when he drove on James Ennis early in the third quarter of their Blitz clash in Sydney, and threw down a dunk in traffic.

Cairns Taipans did, seeing him fly from no-where to reject a shot which helped Adelaide preserve a hard-fought Blitz win, and watching him turn their first regular season game on its ear with a 14-point second quarter.

But the truth is, once Frye severely hurt his ankle ahead of the season-opener against the Wildcats at The Jungle, then went over on it a couple of times in other matches, the explosiveness and athleticism which set him apart was critically compromised.

With his waning confidence, his free throw shooting fell away so alarmingly that watching him go to the stripe was cringe-inducing.

Ironically, ahead of what would be his last NBL game, Frye told me in an interview for the Sunday Mail newspaper: “I can do more.”

That day against the Hawks in Wollongong, he actually did less.

His confidence shot, his intense desire to show his worth overwhelming his ability to perform, he was a lost and sad shadow of himself against the Hawks, effectively ending his career here.

"I think in this situation, a lot of the guys felt for Jarrid and what he was going through," Sixers coach Joey Wright said.

"To be honest, I think there was a sense of relief (when Frye was released)."

Into the team comes Mr Fixit, Rhys Carter, who last year answered an SOS in Perth and this week returns to the club he never truly wanted to leave after his initial stint.

It's not a case of "like-for-like" but of finding the best available player. Carter is a welcome returnee.