NBA legend Charles Barkley thinks the league is headed toward a work stoppage.
Asked about the state of the league ahead of the annual All-Star festivities, Barkley predicted a lockout before the current collective bargaining agreement expires after next season.
The Basketball Hall of Famer and TNT analyst thinks the recent rash of star players demanding trades, along with the rise of load management, will provoke a negative response from the owners at the negotiating table.
“What the NBA is doing, they're sending these dudes some messages," Barkley said. "'OK, what are we going to do about load management?' The next [CBA] is going to come out like, 'OK, you can’t take my money and then say you want to divorce me in six months to a year. Because, you can only get the max from us. You can’t take all my money and then say, 'Hey I want a divorce.'' So, I’m pretty sure that’s the next thing to come out of the CBA. I don’t think there’s no doubt in my mind that these guys are going to get locked out.
"But these owners, you can't take all their money and treat these owners and fans like crap -- what these players are starting to do right now, with load management, and taking their money then demanding to be traded. No doubt in my mind these guys are going to get locked out."
Barkley's comments come just a week after the NBA trade deadline, which saw the Brooklyn Nets unload stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. Irving requested a trade after the sides were unable to reach terms on a contract extension, while Durant followed suit after Irving was dealt. While Irving is a pending free agent, Durant had just signed a four-year extension with the Nets prior to last season.
Those moves came just over a year after the Nets dealt James Harden to the 76ers following his request trade request.
To some, apparently including Barkley, the teardown of the Nets' failed superteam was an indictment of the era player empowerment.
However, as some noted on social media, Barkley himself has previously bragged that he forced his way off both the Philadelphia 76ers and the Phoenix Suns during his illustrious playing career.
In any event, load management -- the practice of players missing games to limit strain on their bodies -- continues to be an issue for the league. Players have long complained that the regular season is too long, while the league seems disinterested in shortening it. It's not entirely clear that load management is solely driven by players, as some organizations seem to lean into it more than others.
In any event, players being absent from the lineup doesn't necessarily translate to competitive integrity, nor does always make for the best experience for fans who invest time and/or money to watch their favorite team's best players.
The current CBA expires on June 30, 2023, with a mutual opt-out deadline recently extended to March 31 of this year. An NBA press release said the two sides were continuing "negotiations to reach a new deal." The NBA last saw a work stoppage in 2011, when the owners initiated a lockout.
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