Charles Barkley Warns Jamahl Mosley Should Pack His Bags Up Over Tensions With Paolo Banchero

Till a few weeks back, the Orlando Magic were one of the hottest teams in the NBA, finally living up to their preseason expectations. Not anymore, thanks to their midseason slump.

The Magic have now lost five games in a row and continue to slide down the East. The lack of success has resulted in plenty of criticism directed at head coach Jamahl Mosley, who is in his fifth season in Orlando. Mosley joined the team at the height of their rebuild and has slowly changed their direction.

The Magic had a gradual progression in its first three seasons, eventually creating a postseason team. However, last season, the Magic took a step back, finishing with a 41-41 record. This season, they are 38-34 so far. To make matters worse, some reports state that forward Paolo Banchero isn’t seeing eye-to-eye with the head coach.

This is worrying, said NBA legend Charles Barkley, while giving his take on Orlando’s season so far. He added that the dynamic between a player and a coach can very well make or break a team.

“In the NBA, you can’t even coach these guys,” Barkley said on The Dan Patrick Show. “They’re making so much money. If they don’t like you, you’re gonna be gone.”

We have seen this fate for coaches countless times in the league. Fred Hoiberg and Jimmy Butler didn’t get along, which subsequently led to the coach’s firing. Another example would be Nate Bjorkgren and the Indiana Pacers.

Bjorkgren served as the head coach in the 2020-21 season, but failed to connect with the team. What was the outcome? You guessed it, he was immediately cut, and the Pacers haven’t looked back since.

Barkley has kept an eye on the Magic and is aware of the rumored deterioration of the relationship between Mosley and Banchero. If it’s creeping toward an untenable situation, Mosley’s fate may already be sealed.

“I see that the coach and Paolo Banchero are not getting along. The coach can start packing his stuff up. Paolo Banchero is a heck of a player, and he’s probably going to be making 50, 60, 70 million in the next couple of years. The guy who’s making the least amount of money [Jamahl Mosley] is going to be packing his bags,” Barkley proclaimed.

There’s a good chance that the clock is ticking for Mosley in Orlando. However, it’s mainly dependent on how far he can lead this team in the playoffs. Anything is possible, but the writing is on the wall that the partnership may be coming to an end.