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Charles Barkley Urges Spurs to Add LeBron James to Growing Core of Stars

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jonah Kubicek | Last updated Feb 4, 2025 1:48 PM ET

After the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks swapped Anthony Davis and Luka Doncic, the San Antonio Spurs pulled off a three-team trade that landed them De'Aaron Fox while keeping the rest of the young core intact.

It would seem like trade season couldn't get any crazier ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline, but if Charles Barkley had his way, the Spurs would make one of the biggest deals the league has ever seen, rivaling even Saturday's blockbuster.

With Doncic cemented as the face of the Lakers for the next several years, the franchise has been urged to surround him with talent that fits a younger timeline.

"If I'm Rob Pelinka, I call Lebron," said Barkley on ESPN. "'Where can we trade you this year or next year where you have a legit chance to win a championship, and we get good draft picks?' I think that has to be on the table."

Barkley listed just two teams that would be a good fit for James: the Golden State Warriors and Spurs.

"I'd swing for the Warriors," Barkley continued. "How about the Spurs? The Spurs got De'Aaron Fox, Wemby, Lebron, they got 100 draft picks, for De'Aaron to learn from LeBron and Wemby to learn from LeBron for the next couple years."

A trio of Fox, Wembanyama, and James would immediately put the Spurs in a title conversation, but that window would likely only be open for a season or two. As the Spurs chase prolonged success, short-sighted moves like that make for good TV, but not good front-office moves.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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