Barkley gave his vision for Dallas’ future on the ESPN broadcast of the Mavericks’ Christmas Day game against the Warriors.
Charles Barkley is officially out on Nico Harrison’s vision for the Dallas Mavericks.
On ESPN’s Christmas Day broadcast, Barkley and the rest of the Inside the NBA crew were discussing the state of the Mavericks. Barkley thinks it’s time for Dallas to move in another direction.
“What are the Mavs gonna do?” he asked. “They’re in trouble now, because it’s clear to me that Anthony Davis, as much as we like him and love him as a player, he’s never gonna be healthy.
“They gotta make a decision.”
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When Kenny Smith asked Barkley what he’d do with Davis if he was Dallas, he gave a pointed response and turned his attention to rookie sensation Cooper Flagg.
“I think I might move on,” he said. “If I was running the team, I’d say, ‘You know what? It’s Cooper’s team now.”
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Ironically, this conversation came before Davis exited the Mavericks’ Christmas Day game against the Warriors with what the team called right groin spasms. A year to the date that Luka Doncic suffered a calf injury in what was ultimately his final game as a Maverick, Davis suffered his own Christmas Day injury.
When the Inside the NBA broadcast was later showing highlights of Dallas’ 126-116 loss to Golden State, including video of Davis leaving the game, Barkley joked about Harrison’s failed tenure in Dallas.
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“This is bad, man,” he said. “Already got my boy fired. Love you Nico, Merry Christmas.”
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For as much a failure as Harrison’s famed Doncic-Davis trade has turned out to be, the Mavericks luckily landed Flagg in the draft lottery. With Flagg’s rapid ascension to stardom in his rookie season, Barkley believes Dallas has its long-term centerpiece to build on, and it’s not Davis.
Related StoriesView MoreMavericks’ Anthony Davis sustains minor groin strain, aims to return soonMavericks dealt difficult blow in loss to Warriors in Cooper Flagg’s Christmas debut
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