Charles Barkley the Next GM of Phoenix Suns? You Gotta be Freakin' Kidding

The common reaction we've received this afternoon when we've told people that there's talk of former Phoenix Suns star Charles Barkley becoming the team's next general manager has been an overwhelming "pfff."

In any event, the latest piece of sports gossip that's been cooked up by Arizona Republic columnist Dan Bickley is that Barkley's open to the idea.

"I don't think it's a good job right now," Barkley tells the Republic. "But I would listen to the Suns because I love Phoenix. I would listen to [owner] Robert [Sarver] out of respect for working in Phoenix. But I'll be honest: I would not re-sign Amar'e Stoudemire."

Of course, the mere idea of Barkley as the team's GM comes exclusively from Bickley -- the team has made no indication they'd even want "Sir Charles" to replace the exiting Steve Kerr, although Barkley has said he wants a general manager's job somewhere in the league.

Why isn't it likely that the somewhere will be Phoenix? The Chuckster wants the last word -- something that isn't likely to happen here in Sarver's world.

Barkley recently said the following via-The Boston Globe.

"I'm ready to get into management. But it's going to have to be a great situation. I'm not going to give up a great situation for a bad situation. I got a great situation here, but I'm ready to be a GM. It's just time for that, but like I said, it's going to have to be under my own terms, and I am going to have to have complete control. I ain't going to work for somebody else if I am going to get the blame.''

As our colleague Paul Rubin pointed out today when we mentioned to him the idea of Barkley as the Suns' GM: Barkley's more likely to become the governor of Alabama than take a job as the general manager of the Phoenix Suns.