April 29, 2013
Charles Barkley Rumored to Become GM of Phoenix Suns, Can’t Afford Him
The Phoenix Suns recently fired GM Lance Blanks last Monday (April 22), and now, the NBA team is in the market for new administrative leadership. There are several people who might come to mind for this position, but Charles Barkley thinks he should take on the title.
The former NBA superstar and current TNT sports analyst recently told Arizona’s KGME-AM Pros 2 Preps radio host, Brad Cesmat, that he’s wanted to be a GM for quite some time, and the Suns would be lucky to have him.
“I’ve talked openly the last couple of years about wanting to be a GM. I didn’t even know the Suns job was going to be open, so it has nothing to do with that. Listen, I know my basketball. I know my players. That’s what the job is about,†Barkley continues. “The Suns have not made good draft picks. Whoever you want to blame, you could just blame all of the above because they have not made good draft picks. The two best players on the roster are Goran Dragic and Marcin Gortat. I like both of those players. I like both of those players a lot. But to say the rest–the jury is still out–would be an understatement. They need somebody in there who knows what they’re doing. I’m not going to beg them for a job. I’m not going to worry about it if I don’t get the job. Listen, the people who have been running that ship, crashed and burned it. They need somebody else who actually knows what they’re doing.â€
As Charles went on to talk about his want to be GM and reasoning why, he had no problem holding back about why the Suns would benefit from his expertise.
“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.â€
Unfortunately, according to NBCSports.com, Barkley may want to take on the GM position, but the Suns simply may not be able to afford him.
“Suns owner Robert Sarver is notoriously cheap with his franchise,†NBCSports.com says. “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.â€
So, the jury’s still out on whether or not sports commentator and basketball legend will be able to follow his dream, but for Barkley’s full interview, check out azcentral.com.