Charles Barkley wishes LeBron had picked Cavs, sees ‘lot of mouths to feed’ in Philly

Charles Barkley wasn’t thrilled when LeBron James picked the 76ers in free agency.

“I was surprised and disappointed he went to Philly,” Barkley told Casino Guru’s Kyle Odegard. “I was hoping he’d go back to Cleveland to finish his career.”

That, of course, doesn’t mean Barkley is writing off the Sixers. He’s just not handing them the East, either.

“The Sixers are probably going to be the favorite, but they’ve got a lot of questions to answer,” he said.

The first question is health. Given Joel Embiid‘s injury history through the years, and James’ age (41), that’s a fair point, and Barkley certainly isn’t alone in mentioning it.

“Can Joel stay healthy and can LeBron stay healthy?” Barkley said. “LeBron hasn’t played a full season in probably six years. Joel has never played a full season.”

There’s also the matter of minutes and touches. Along with James, Embiid and Jaylen Brown, the Sixers feature the likes of Tyrese Maxey and 2025-26 Rookie of the Year candidate VJ Edgecombe.

“They’ve got a lot of mouths to feed,” Barkley said. “So there will be a lot of questions.”

He also flipped the usual conference talk. After a busy offseason around the East, he said something he claimed he almost never says.

“I can’t remember the last time I said this — the Eastern Conference is probably better than the Western Conference,” Barkley said. “(The 76ers) have got to stay healthy to have a good season.”

Basically, the talent is undoubtedly there. Availability and chemistry are not guaranteed.