The moment that made Charles Barkley leave the 76ers: 'That was the biggest disaster of my career'

Throughout NBA history, some trades have dramatically altered the course of franchises, often costing teams the chance to build a legacy around future superstars. Whether it was the Charlotte Hornets trading Kobe Bryant to the Los Angeles Lakers or the Milwaukee Bucks dealing Dirk Nowitzki to the Dallas Mavericks for Robert Taylor, such decisions remain infamous. 

Similarly, Charles Barkley once lamented that his career with the Philadelphia 76ers was wrecked when the franchise traded away their future championship prowess by dealing Brad Daugherty and Moses Malone in the summer of 1986.

Barkley was pissed that the Sixers traded Malone

After finishing the 1985-86 season as the league's ninth-best offensive team and reaching the second round of the playoffs, the 76ers seemed poised to contest for a title with the most minimal tweaks. 

With the No. 1 overall pick in the 1986 draft at their disposal, they had the chance to get a talented 7-foot center in Brad Daugherty, who had averaged 20.2 points and 9.0 rebounds per game in his senior year for North Carolina.

However, the Sixers took a massive gamble. Instead of acquiring Daugherty, they traded their pick to acquire Roy Hinson - based on his averaging 19.6 points per game in the 1985-86 season. To make matters even worse, the 76ers also traded an All-Star, All-NBA-caliber Moses Malone to the Washington Wizards.

When "The Chuckster" learned about these moves, he instantly felt that his time in Philly was bound to come to an end at some point.

"I remember getting a phone call at about 6 in the morning - this is the day of the draft, I might add. It was from Phil Jasner (Daily News writer) in Philadelphia. And Phil calls me, he says, 'Charles, can you talk?' I said, 'Phil, it's like 6 in the morning.' He says, 'The Sixers made a trade. You need to talk about it. I need your opinion,'" Barkley said. and continued: 

"I said, 'Well, what'd they do?' He said, 'Traded the No. 1 pick in the draft… I said, 'What? That's all we got for the No. 1 pick, was Roy Hinson?' And then he says, 'Oh, and they traded Moses (Malone) to Washington.'... That was the beginning of the end, where I could have actually had a really good team - That wrecked my entire Philadelphia career, and that was the biggest disaster of my career, plain and simple."

Barkley knew the Sixers wouldn't do well

The 76ers struggled in the wake of these trades, tallying nine fewer wins during the 1986-87 season. Both their offensive and defensive ratings declined, and the team suffered a first-round playoff exit.

Even though the Sixers managed to reach the second round of the playoffs in the following four years, it was clear to "The Round Mound of Rebound" that the franchise wasn't committed to building a championship-caliber team. 

Perhaps that realization ultimately led to him always being frustrated with the team's actions, as he eventually ended up with the Phoenix Suns.