Charles Barkley really, really doesn't approve of the Los Angeles Lakers' apparent power play for Anthony Davis.
On a special edition of “Inside the NBA” Thursday night, during which LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo drafted their teams for the upcoming NBA All-Star game, the league's most popular media personality took the opportunity to poke fun at the Lakers' failed attempts to pry Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans by reportedly offering a trade package consisting of five-to-six players.
“I think the best way to do this,” Barkley says, smiling, “is to trade everybody on his bench for Anthony Davis.”
sed13: Sir Charles #NBAAllStar2019 TNT NBA All-Star Game Draft https://t.co/9OeECduHIj pic.twitter.com/7xT9eQ56QC
— FanSportsClips (@FanSportsClips) February 8, 2019
There actually was a trade during the All-Star draft, by the way.
Honoring James' desire to pair Russell Westbrook with Joel Embiid, Antetokounmpo agreed to deal the Oklahoma City Thunder superstar to Team James in exchange for Philadelphia 76ers point guard and reigning Rookie of the Year Ben Simmons.
Article Continues BelowEmbiid and Westbrook, of course, have consistently butted heads as opponents in the past, most recently during the Thunder's thrilling 117-115 victory over Philadelphia on January 19th.
This isn't the first time Barkley has criticized the Lakers for their attempts to acquire Davis.
Last week, while grumbling about the relationship between Davis, James, and his long-time friend Rich Paul, who represents both players, Barkley insisted that Adam Silver should “block” any trade that would send Davis to Los Angeles.
He also recalled a conversation with Paul in which he told the head of Klutch Sports that “the fix is in.”
Davis, of course, remains with New Orleans after the trade deadline.