"Can't go to war with 3 old guys" - Charles Barkley rings alarm bells for Warriors as 6'7 forward becomes RFA

NBA legend Charles Barkley shared his thoughts on the Golden State Warriors' current roster on Wednesday's episode of TNT's "Inside The NBA." After the Warriors' season-ending loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Barkley asserted that the Warriors are in trouble and don't believe in the team's ability to compete in the Western Conference.

Barkley also suggested that 6-foot-7 forward Jonathan Kuminga, a restricted free agent, could be a key player for the Warriors. However, the Warriors didn't extend a substantial offer for a five-year, $220 million max-extension, leaving his future with Golden State uncertain.

“They’ve got three old guys. Man, the Kuminga thing is interesting. ... And the Kuminga thing, we’re in the back like damn! He either plays or he doesn’t play, but now you got to make a decision, whether to pay him or not.” Charles Barkley said.

"He’s [Kuminga] the only one on that bench that’s explosive. You can't go to war with three old guys against the West. He was the only guy out there where you can say, ‘He can play with these Minnesota Timberwolves guys.’

While Curry's injury contributed to the Dubs' exit in the playoffs, Kuminga stepped up in his absence. He had a promising performance in Game 5, scoring 26 points in 32 minutes in the 121-110 loss on Wednesday night.

In the Warriors roster, Steph Curry is 37 years old, Jimmy Butler turns 36 before next season and Draymond Green is 35. The trio is set to earn approximately $139.6 million and $147 million over the next two seasons, leaving limited room for maneuvering.

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Shaquille O'Neal defends Curry and the Warriors after Charles Barkley's comment

Charles Barkley, still on TNT's "Inside The NBA," believed that the Timberwolves would have still won their playoff series against the Golden State Warriors even if Stephen Curry had played.

The statement didn't go well with fellow host Shaquille O'Neal, who defended Curry and the Warriors:

"Steph is the one dynamic player that can take over a game. Now he's been his old 'Steph' in these playoffs, Houston did this trickery defence where he had to be a regular player. But to answer [host Ernie Johnson's] question, if he's healthy, he can give you one of those games with 30-40-50, and it can change the series. So to answer your question, I think if he was healthy, they could've definitely won this series."

The Warriors lost the series 4-1 to the Timberwolves. Regardless of what would have happened if Curry featured or not, the Warriors need to fix their roster ahead of the 2025/26 season to make them more competitive in the West.