INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- The answers many wanted didn't come on Thursday afternoon. The biggest reveal probably snuck out by accident, as head coach Tyronn Lue slipped up towards the end of the Cavaliers' dodgy 30-minute introductory press conference for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder and Ante Zizic.

"Isaiah's not going to be starting the season," Lue said when asked about the differences between Thomas and departed All-Star Kyrie Irving.

Before that, general manager Koby Altman attempted to shut down all queries pertaining to Thomas' playing status, not wanting to put a timetable on a return.

"I don't want this to be the Isaiah Thomas hip press conference," Altman said. "And so I'm just going to, with all due respect, shut down all of the hip questions. If you want to talk about Isaiah, let's talk about Isaiah as an All-Star. Let's talk about Isaiah, the guy who averaged 29 points a game last year. Let's talk about him as a leader and what he's going to bring to this franchise, in terms of his performance on the court when we get him back."

Problem: That conversation can't exist without knowing Thomas' health.

The diminutive point guard, who finished third in scoring this past season, originally suffered the right hip injury in March. He then reaggravated it during the Eastern Conference Finals in May, having to sit out the final three games of the series. There's been so much uncertainty surrounding Thomas' playing status and the state of his hip that the Cavs pressed pause on trade conversations to get an extra second-round pick from the Celtics.

When Thomas -- expected to fill Irving's role as starting point guard, late-game shot-maker and offensive spark plug -- eventually returns after electing not to undergo surgery on his labral tear, there are still numerous variables that will determine Thomas' effectiveness.

How will Thomas jell alongside LeBron James, something that wasn't always easy for Irving? Will Lue be able to maximize Thomas' offensive gifts the same way Brad Stevens did the last two and a half years in Boston? Will the hip injury zap his quickness, explosiveness and change-of-pace ability, traits that define his game? What if Thomas never returns to his previous All-Star form?

Thomas has repeatedly said he's not damaged goods, but the Cavs' unwillingness to answer questions or carve out a timetable for his return proves they are likely wondering about their newest addition and, perhaps, attempting to lower expectations.

He's the biggest name coming back to Cleveland, the one with the accolades and All-Star resume. He's the player that helped push the Celtics from rebuilding lottery team to Cleveland's primary Eastern Conference threat. His goals coming to the Cavs haven't changed, wanting to help them win a championship. He endeared himself to the new fan base with his revealing Player's Tribune essay.

But this trade wasn't ever about him -- and Thursday only reconfirmed that.

Despite the uncertainty, the Cavs were still willing to pull the trigger and walked into the room Thursday boasting over the deal that sent Irving to rival Boston in the process.

"This is an extremely exciting day for the Cavaliers and our organization and the city of Cleveland as we welcome the newest members of our Cavaliers family," Altman said.

That only shows how much they value the other pieces. The rookie GM raved about unheralded Crowder, referring to him as an "analytics marvel."

"Jae Crowder, this is a guy that we've liked for quite some time. His on-court/off-court plus-minus is at a high level and he contributes to winning at an extremely high level," Altman said. "That's why we value him to that extent. But he also brings a tough, gritty attitude defensively. Pick up the best player. He's going to bring that to this team. And he's a core piece to this Cavaliers team moving forward.

"Jae has also gotten better every year he's been in the league. He's also added to his repertoire. His 3-point shooting was at a career high last year. Something like 39.8 percent. That's going to add tremendous value to our team as he spaces the floor for us but also picks up the other team's best player."

During the Irving trade discussions, the Cavs were seeking at least one ready-made player, a better fit in their quest to dethrone the Golden State Warriors. Now they have it, a 3-and-D wing -- a missing piece during last year's Finals.

Even even-keeled Lue, who will have to find playing time for everyone on his suddenly deeper roster, perked up when discussing the potential of playing Crowder and James together.

"I think adding a guy like Jae, who can play four positions, he's going to make it easy for LeBron," Lue said. "Having Jae and LeBron on the floor together, having the 3-4, Jae can always guard the tougher opponent which allows LeBron to roam, which he loves to do on defense, pick off steals and passes and anchor our defense by talking and communicating. It's going to be a great duo defensively and I'm excited for it."

There's also Zizic, a promising youngster who may be able to provide depth in the frontcourt.

"Ante Zizic we know pretty well through the draft process and then also scouting him this past year," Altman said. "He's a 20-year old that's played at the highest level of the Euro League. He's also tough. He plays with motor and we're excited about his growth as a young big for this franchise. So, this is a great day for our franchise in terms of adding these players to our team and Coach Lue will talk about how he's going to integrate them but these guys are going to add a whole lot to this franchise."

The centerpiece of the deal, however, was the Brooklyn Nets' 2018 unprotected first-round pick, which surprisingly wasn't brought up during the press conference.

Nonetheless, the sought-after selection, which could be a top 5 pick depending on the new-look Nets, opens a plethora of trade possibilities in the short term while also giving the Cavs a shot at a long-term building block if James leaves in free agency. What the Cavs do with the pick, one that is generating many phone calls, remains to be seen.

That's one of many remaining questions as the Cavs inch closer to training camp. But the bulk of them center on Thomas. That's why Thursday became all about him -- placed in the middle of the table in a wine-colored suit jacket. That's a tad ironic because he was never truly the focal point of the summer's biggest trade.