There is something important to understand about where the Cavaliers reside these days, about the daunting task facing Chauncey Billups or Koby Altman or Dan Gilbert or anyone else who will ultimately be tasked with directing traffic during this critical summer offseason.



This job isn’t as appealing as it once was.



Of course, LeBron James is still here and the path seems clear for a fourth-straight trip to the Finals. That’s certainly attractive in the short term. But the Cavs are trying to catch the Golden State Warriors with no real trade assets aside from their star players, no tradeable first-round draft picks until 2021 and no cap space — not to mention the threat of James’ free agency next summer hanging over this franchise like an anvil.



Paul George slipping away late Friday makes it all sting a little bit more.



The Cavs believed they had a three-team deal on draft night that would’ve brought George to Cleveland and sent Kevin Love to Denver, sources with knowledge of the negotiations told The Athletic, but the Pacers killed the deal. The Cavs privately believe now that Indiana wanted George out of the East, which is why it passed over deals with both Cleveland and Boston and instead sent him to Oklahoma City in a stunner shortly before the start of free agency.



‌‌‌ Now that...