Scenes like this are why the Wire is arguably the GOAT show.
In a time when Barksdale is going to war with Marlo, his own empire dwindling and lacking of muscle, He let's cutty, one of his only proven soldiers left, walk free and rid himself of "the game".
You can see the respect all 3 characters have for each other in this scene. Slim taking the blame for the botched hit, Cutty then stepping up and taking ownership of the mistake and Avon appreciating that all things don't always go as planned.
This scene is the embodiment of why Avon is in the position he is in (BOSS STATUS) and why his name holds so much clout. When he asks Cutty what he's going to do because the game is all he knows, you can tell that it's a genuine question and not a statement that belittles Cutty.
Slim Charles - "he was a man back in his day"
Avon - "he a man TODAY, he a man TODAY"!
that exchange is soo deep and such a subtle way to describe and articulate the experience that people in that type of environment go through.
The more I re-watch the wire the greater my respect grows for Avon's character (and Wood harris' acting).