Charles Barkley never passes up a chance to take a shot at the Warriors.
The Hall of Famer and current TNT analyst provided a sobering assessment of Golden State while talking to NBC Sports Bay Area on Thursday at the American Century Championship at the Edgewood Tahoe Resort.
"They got a mediocre team," Barkley said. "They were mediocre last year. They're going to be even more mediocre next year."
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
“They were mediocre last year, they’re going to be even more mediocre next year … that run is over.”
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) July 11, 2024
Charles Barkley on the current state of the Warriors 😬 pic.twitter.com/qLhQMPUlSr
The Warriors are coming off a 46-36 2023-24 NBA season, good for 10th place in the loaded Western Conference. They qualified for the NBA play-in tournament but lost to the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center in the No. 9 vs. No. 10 game.
The roster that Golden State trots out when the 2024-25 NBA season begins will look dramatically different than last year's squad.
Franchise icon Klay Thompson is gone, having departed for the Dallas Mavericks following acrimonious contract negotiations with the Warriors.
Golden State Warriors
Veteran big man Dario Šarić also has moved on, signing with the Denver Nuggets.
In their place, the Warriors added Buddy Hield, Kyle Anderson and De'Anthony Melton through either sign-and-trade deals or free-agent acquisitions.
Golden State's front office still has its eyes on a big move, with reported interest in Utah Jazz All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen.
But Barkley doesn't see any move helping the Warriors shed the "mediocre" label.
They're all just past their prime," Barkley said. "So that run is over."
Barkley has been a vocal Warriors critic over the last 10 years, and that didn't stop on the shores of Lake Tahoe.