It should come as no surprise to anyone who follows the NBA, but Charles Barkley has an opinion on the Sacramento Kings trade for De'Andre Hunter. He's not a fan. The legendary player thinks it's bad for Hunter, the Kings, and the Cavs, though he also admits he doesn't pay any attention to the Kings.
On a recent episode of ESPN's less frequent version of Inside the NBA, Barkley got loud and mad. Normally, that wouldn't be news as he's pretty much always loud and mad when he's on TV, particularly when he's in the presence of Shaquille O'Neal. They rile each other up.
Charles Barkley has no idea what the Cavaliers are doing by trading away Deandre Hunter:
— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) February 1, 2026
“It just goes to show you there’s a lot of people running these NBA teams that don’t know what they’re doing. I would not trade one of my better players, he’s one of the better bench players… pic.twitter.com/r2hy0vjIcI
This time, Sir Charles had a lot to say about the Sacramento Kings' recent trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers. This three-team trade sent Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder to the Cavs, Dario Saric to the Bulls, and De'Andre Hunter to the Kings. It's the Hunter part of the equation Chuck is upset about.
Barkley is a big fan of Hunter, and mainly seems upset that the player is moving from a contender to a perpetual basement dwelling team. From that perspective, the trade makes no sense. But if you look at it from Sacramento's perspective, it's a solid move.
The De'Andre Hunter trade was the right decision
If you take Chuck's personal feelings out of the equation, the deal is logical for both sides. The Cavaliers got a young 3&D star with huge potential in Ellis as well as a reliable back up point guard in Schroder. They've given their bench more depth than they had before.
In Hunter, the Kings get a meat and potatoes offensive player who is solid from three, which is great for spacing. More importantly, De'Andre is a physical, versatile defender who can move well off the ball as long as he stays focused. He is a plug and play two-way wing who is still under 30.
No disrespect meant to Sir Charles, but this is a solid trade for both the Cavs and the Kings. It could improve Cleveland's chances of winning now while also helping build for the future of the Kings' franchise. This is one of those rare trades where every side came out a winner.
Again, Barkley's comments are motivated mostly by how much he likes Hunter as a player. That's understandable. But Charles also admits that he doesn't pay much attention to what's going on in Sacramento, so he might not see how this move factors into the bigger picture for them.