Charles Barkley has never been afraid to express his thoughts about players in today’s NBA landscape.
Just over a week after the league’s trade deadline, the NBA on TNT analyst shared some critical remarks about the NBA’s current stars, stemming from the recent divorces of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving from the Nets. The Naismith Hall of Famer believes that the players’ ability to earn max money and then want to part ways with a team when things don’t go as planned will lead to an NBA lockout.
“You can’t take all my money, then say, ‘Hey, I want a divorce.’ So, I’m pretty sure that’s the next thing that’s gonna come out of the CBA. I have no doubt in my mind that these guys are gonna get locked out,” Barkley told a group of reporters at this year's NBA All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City.
Irving was traded to the Mavericks while Durant was traded to the Suns ahead of the NBA’s trade deadline. The two stars were once part of a Nets’ trio that included James Harden—who now plays for the 76ers—that was destined to compete for NBA titles and serve as a big threat in the Eastern Conference.
However, that never happened as the players were hampered by injuries, lack of chemistry as well as off-the-court issues. But with all three now on different teams, Barkley believes that mentality is why some of the league’s biggest stars are coddled.
“Y’all baby these dudes so much today,” Barkley said. “They don’t want to play back-to-back games. Every time a fan says something, they get them tossed. If they’re not happy, they want to get traded. It’s going to come to a head in the next CBA.”
The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association are slated to convene about the league’s current collective bargaining agreement on March 31 with both entities hoping to strike a new deal. The agreement to opt-out of the NBA’s current CBA was initially extended on Feb. 8.
However, if league or the NBPA decides to opt-out, the league’s current CBA will conclude on June 30, according to a joint statement both organizations released on Feb. 6. As a result, the league would undergo another lockout starting on July 1.
The current CBA, one that has been in place since 2017, is set to end after the 2023-24 season.
The NBA has encountered four lockouts with the most recent taking place in the 2011-12 season when the league was paused for 161 days and teams were not permitted to play until Christmas Day.
