Charles Barkley was asked about the state of the Knicks during a media call to promote the American Championship celebrity golf tournament on Wednesday, and Barkley didn't hold back in expressing just how lost he believes the franchise is.
"They're not close. They're not close at all," Barkley said, via SNY. "They only got about two to three guys who are NBA starters. The No. 1 thing they got to do is get talent. They got a bunch of JAGs as I call them. Just A Guy.
"They're not better than guys on Atlanta, Orlando. There's only probably three guys on that team that are NBA starters. So the No. 1 thing they got to do is get some talent. They got a lack of talent right now. And it's really unfortunate because we need the Knicks to be competitive. And right now, they're not competitive."
Barkley doubles down on his assertion that New York only has three players on its roster that would be starters elsewhere in the league, and even adding a star like Donovan Mitchell, long linked with the Knicks via trade rumors, wouldn't move the needle enough for the franchise.
"Right now you only got three players in my opinion that are probably NBA starters," Barkley said. "Donovan Mitchell is a good player, he's a good player. But it depends on what you've got to give up. I'm not sure if you gave up half you're team, you'd still probably be better with Donovan Mitchell. I'm not going to lie to you.
"Because you don't have a lot in the cupboard right now…But the problem with the Knicks, they just haven't drafted well."
The Knicks had all kinds of hope after earning the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference last season, but a new year of promise brought a painful Julius Randle regression, injuries to a key cog in Derrick Rose, and a rift between the fans and Tom Thibodeau for not playing the team's youngsters enough. For those hoping for better days next season, Barkley says to not get your hopes up.
"You guys are just caught in a really awkward situation," Barkley said. "I'm not going to lie. I wish I could make it easier for you. But you guys just don't have a lot of talent. You're not even close to being relevant right now."
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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