Charles Barkley is giving the Lakers more credit than he usually does, but he still isn’t ready to call them champions.
On the Bill Simmons podcast, Barkley said he likes what he sees from the revamped roster heading into the 2026-27 season. He made clear that his respect starts with the star power at the top.
“I really want to see the Lakers do well,” said Barkley. “First of all, I’m a big Luka fan, a big Austin Reaves fan.
I think they’re gonna be better than people realize. Luka and Kyrie took the Mavs to the Finals, come on, man.
This team is probably better; this team is probably just as good as that team.”
That’s a strong endorsement by Barkley standards, especially when he’s talking about the Lakers. He went even further in suggesting the team can be competitive, though he drew a hard line when it came to the championship conversation.
“They’re going to be fine, I think. Are they gonna win the championship?
I don’t think they’re going to win the championship. But the league is better when the Celtics, the Lakers, and the Knicks are good teams,” Barkley added.
Barkley’s comments are notable because he’s often been more annoyed by how much attention the Lakers get than by the franchise itself. His frustration has usually centered on their national TV spotlight when the team isn’t especially relevant, not on any deep anti-Lakers stance.
Still, his praise comes with a clear warning label. Even if this group can match the 2024 Mavericks that Luka Doncic helped take to the NBA Finals, Barkley seems to believe that might not be enough in a tougher league - or in a West that now looks even stronger than it did then.
He has already leaned toward other Western Conference powers in the past, naming teams like the Thunder and the Spurs as clubs he’d take over the Lakers. Both of those teams are better now than they were in 2024, which only makes the road harder.
And then there’s the biggest issue hanging over the whole discussion: defense. That’s the flaw keeping Barkley and other former players from buying into the Lakers as real title threats. Trevor Ariza, Derek Fisher, and Byron Scott have also said they don’t view this group as championship material.
The Lakers did make moves aimed at that side of the ball this summer, bringing in Walker Kessler, Matisse Thybulle, and Ziaire Williams. But those additions, at least for now, haven’t been enough to change the minds of the skeptics.
So Barkley’s take lands in an interesting middle ground. He sees a team with real potential and enough talent to be taken seriously. But until the defense shows up and holds up, the championship talk is going to stay on pause.
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