Charles Barkley was nearly traded to Lakers before Suns deal
Charles Barkley's 1992 trade from Philadelphia to Phoenix set the stage for the Suns' run to the 1993 NBA Finals, with Barkley earning MVP honors along the way.
But "The Round Mound of Rebound" apparently came very close to plying his trade for a California team instead.
"I got traded to the Lakers one day (in 1992) and they retracted the deal," Barkley told Sports Illustrated's Richard Deitsch in a recent interview.
The Sixers backed out. It was going crazy for two weeks so I knew it would come down to Portland, (the) Lakers or Phoenix. So I get a call from my agent one morning and he said, “Philly has traded you to the Lakers.” So I went to lunch and started drinking. I’m f---ing so excited that I am going to the Lakers. Three hours later I get a f---ing phone call from my agent saying that the Sixers backed out of the deal. I said, “Oh, s--t, I’m feeling pretty good right now.” So I went out and played that night.
How did Barkley fare on the court that night? "I played pretty well. I wasn’t blasted, just a couple of drinks at lunch. I mean, I was excited to get the hell out of Philly," he told Deitsch.
James Worthy would have been headed to Philadelphia in the near-blockbuster deal, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Barkley averaged 23.4 points, 11.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.6 steals over four seasons with the Suns, earning All-Star and All-NBA nods in each of those four years.
Suffice to say, while they ultimately fell short to Michael Jordan's Bulls in their only Finals trip with Barkley, the Suns were certainly pleased Philly backed out of the deal with the Lakers.
- With h/t to SB Nation