“It was over when they traded Dan” – Charles Barkley says losing Dan Majerle killed the Suns’ championship hopes originally appeared on Basketball Network.
The Phoenix Suns of the early ’90s were always knocking at the door. After reaching the NBA Finals in 1993 and pushing the eventual champions to the brink in back-to-back years, the consensus was clear — they were one small move away from getting over the hump.
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But instead of adding a final piece, the front office made a decision that shocked the locker room: they traded away Dan Majerle, the heart and soul of the team.
For Charles Barkley, that was the moment he knew the Suns’ championship window had closed.
Barkley was unhappy with the Suns’ trading Majerle
Despite pushing the eventual champions — the Houston Rockets — to the brink both in 1994 and ’95, the Suns’ front office decided to head in a new direction. They couldn’t help but focus on Majerle’s dwindling numbers — merely 6.1 points per game in the ’95 Western Conference Finals. Ultimately, they decided to ship him off to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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For Barkley, that decision stung hard. No matter how much he tried to hide it, he knew the team had traded away the tone-setter for the entire locker room.
“Marley, Quinn and Manning were the three players I wanted on this team, no matter what. One is gone,” Barkley said at the time with a dejected face. “So, I’m disappointed.”
In the 1995-96 season, Barkley still performed at an elite level, averaging 23.2 points and earning an All-NBA nod rightfully. But it was evident to him that the team had lost its edge, a player who encouraged everyone right from the time they left the locker room. The chemistry, the grit, the energy and the team-first mentality were showcased by no other player but by Dan, who was shown the exit door.
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“It was like, when Dan was traded, it was over. I was on the downside and Dan was my right hand. He brought that intensity to our team,” Barkley admitted years later while recalling the time. “So, once they traded Dan, it was like death in the family.”
The heartbeat of the Suns
Ironically, in his final season, Majerle earned an All-Star selection after averaging 15.6 points per game. But his real value went far beyond the numbers. He was always available and ready to play, no matter the pain or circumstance. The 6’6″ guard embodied the kind of relentless, team-first mentality that often fuels deep playoff runs.
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And Barkley saw that early on. Maybe that’s why, when Majerle left, Sir Charles might have performed for Phoenix, but he knew his heart had sunk.
This just shows that in solid championship contenders, it’s not always the main player who is most vital, but those who regularly show up to work and are willing to fill the gaps in the team who become the true heartbeat of it. And for the Suns, while they might have seen success when Barkley joined the fold, the true alpha was Majerle.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 28, 2025, where it first appeared.