Charles Barkley says Knicks 'not close to being relevant right now'

Charles Barkley doesn’t think the Knicks will be back on national TV much next season. He said on Wednesday that the club was "not close to being relevant right now.”

Barkley, the NBA on TNT analyst, shared his thoughts on the Knicks, Nets and many other topics during a chat with some media members Wednesday to promote the American Century Championship charity/celebrity golf tournament.

Barkley was asked during the call about areas the Knicks need to address.

Here’s what he said:

“How long do you think this video call is? We don’t have that much time to address all this. They’re not close. They’re not close at all. 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 was later asked if he thought the Knicks should try to trade for Utah’s Donovan Mitchell.

His take?

“What are you giving up to get Donovan Mitchell, is the question? Like I said, right now you only got three players in my opinion that are probably NBA starters. 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 (laughs), 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, you don’t have a lot in the cupboard. But the problem with the Knicks, they just haven’t drafted well."

As you know, the Knicks surprised the NBA in 2020-21 by earning the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference. They were soundly beaten by the Hawks in the 2021 playoffs and then went 37-45 last season. The club has some promising young players, the No. 11 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and some pathways to cap flexibility. This offseason will be a pivotal one for team president Leon Rose and his group.

“You guys are just caught in a really awkward situation; 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.”

Barkley will be playing in his 27th American Century Championship in July. The event is in Lake Tahoe between July 6-10 and can be seen on NBC and the Golf Channel. Other celebrities include Aaron Rogers, Tony Romo, CC Sabathia and John Smoltz. The tournament says it has fundraised more than $6 million for non-profit charities over its history.