Do you think Charles Barkley would have been good as the governor of Alabama? He once talked about running, but do you think he would have done well in a world where he needed to be diplomatic, to compromise and to be detail oriented? Does Barkley strike you as the kind of guy who would take a steep pay cut to take on way more work?
So what makes you think he’d make a good general manager in Phoenix?
Barkley has talked about that again. The Suns have fired Lance Blanks and need a GM, and Barkley wants to throw his hat in the ring. Here are Barkley’s own words from an Arizona radio interview transcribed by the Arizona Republic.“The Suns are the Titanic. So the notion that I can’t do better than them is ridiculous. The Suns stink. So whoever has been rowing the boat has just done a horrific job so let’s just get that straight and out of the way. I made it perfectly clear that I’m going to be a GM. The Suns know my number. They know that I want to be a GM....
“I don’t believe it’s a 24-7 job. You draft your players. You have your team. How many trades do you make during the season? You might make a trade. But most of the good teams don’t make a lot of trades during the season. Do you have to be there every day? Of course you have to be there every day. But you have to have a good supporting staff as far as going out scouting players. Listen, this thing is about players. It ain’t about the general manager. It’s about the general manager who is picking players....
“Obviously, I’m probably going to have to take a pay cut. But, listen, dude, I’m not overly concerned about money at this stage of my life. I’ve been very blessed.”
Paul Coro at the Arizona Republic is rightfully dismissive of the idea, as was team president Lon Babby, after listing the guys the Suns actually talked to.
The GM search began this week with the Suns considering Milwaukee assistant GM Jeff Weltman (a finalist in 2010 when Blanks was hired), former Indiana Pacers GM and Arizona graduate David Morway and former Lakers assistant GM Ronnie Lester. Assistant GMs Ryan McDonough (Boston), Wes Wilcox (Atlanta) and Troy Weaver (Oklahoma City) are potential candidates too…
Charles Barkley talks about becoming a GM like he once spoke of becoming Alabama governor, but the Suns likely would not approach the TNT salary paid to Barkley, who is in the Suns’ Ring of Honor.
“I think the job requires rowing the boat every single day and it’s an all-consuming job and my impression is that he has a pretty full and good life,” Babby said. “Taking on a challenge like this might be something he really doesn’t want if he knew what it entails.”
Despite what Barkley says, I think it’s about the money.
Suns owner Robert Sarver is notoriously cheap with his franchise. Well, that’s how you view it as a fan, but the man stays within the budget he has for the team. No matter what. So first off, while Charles Barkley’s salary is not public he is one of the big draws on TNT, a big personality, and you can be sure he gets paid accordingly. Way more than other GMs around the league.
However the money issue is not just about salary. What happens the first time Barkley really wants to spend on a free agent, or to go into the luxury tax to re-sign a player on the roster, and Sarver laughs him out of the office? To win with the budget constraints in Phoenix will take a smart and clever GM willing to work very hard.
Bottom line to me: Does Barkley strike you as the kind of guy who would take a serious pay cut to take on more work?
This is kind of a fan fantasy, because Barkley would likely run the team like a lot of fans. Heck, most fans can remember players’ names better than Barkley seems to. I love Barkley around the NBA, but this would not be a good fit.