NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley is no longer backing the New York Knicks to win the Eastern Conference, shifting his support to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
During ESPN’s Inside the NBA broadcast Friday night, Barkley announced he is no longer picking New York to come out of the East.
“I’m changing my pick Ernie. I told y’all I thought the Knicks was coming out of the East… The Cleveland Cavaliers are coming out of the Eastern Conference,” Barkley said.
Cleveland has surged up the standings following its trade with the Los Angeles Clippers to acquire James Harden in exchange for Darius Garland at this season’s deadline. The Cavaliers extended their winning streak to seven games with a 118-113 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night, improving to 36-21 on the season. Cleveland now sits third in the Eastern Conference, just one game behind the Boston Celtics for the second seed.
Since arriving in Cleveland, Harden has averaged 18.4 points, 8.6 assists, five rebounds and one steal per game while shooting 49.1 percent from the field and 48.1 percent from three-point range across five contests in 31.8 minutes per game.
“The Cleveland Cavaliers are coming out of the eastern conference,” – Charles Barkley 👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/xF7XkMXzuG
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) February 21, 2026
Charles Barkley shifts East pick as Cavaliers surge ahead of Knicks matchup
Harden’s presence has coincided with increased production from center Jarrett Allen. Over the same five-game span, Allen has averaged 22.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists and one block while shooting 76.3 percent from the field in 30 minutes per contest. For the season, the 27-year-old is averaging 14.9 points and 8.4 rebounds while shooting 62.7 percent across 45 games.
New York, meanwhile, has experienced a strong stretch of its own despite Barkley’s shift. The Knicks went 10-3 from late January into early February, including an eight-game winning streak. However, they slipped to the fourth seed after a 126-111 loss to the NBA-leading Detroit Pistons, dropping to 35-21 on the year.
The two Eastern Conference contenders are set to meet during New York’s upcoming three-game road trip. The Knicks visit Cleveland next Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET on Peacock.
With the Cavaliers riding momentum and climbing the standings, Barkley’s revised prediction underscores how rapidly the Eastern Conference hierarchy has shifted in the weeks following the trade deadline.
