TFD: Charles Barkley on Kevin Love -- 'I understand why he doesn't want to stay there'

Charles Barkley is a terrible golfer. Awful.

But he is playing in the American Century Championship next month in Lake Tahoe, and the event had a conference call with Barkley and others on Tuesday to set things up. The conversation naturally turned to basketball, and at one point turned to Kevin Love.

We got ahold of a transcript from the call, and here are the rather extensive comments from Barkley about Love and the situation with the Timberwolves.

Well, I'm thinking the Timberwolves are in trouble, man, because I think Kevin Love is the best power forward in the NBA. Timberwolves don't have a lot to go with him. They're not going to get a ton better with this draft. I don't know what their draft situation is this year.

But they're not going to get better. So I think the thing they gotta do is try to get as much as possible for Kevin. Kevin's the best power forward in the NBA, in my opinion. But they don't have any help for him. Like I said, they're not going to get a lot better in the next year.

I think the best thing for them to do is try to rebuild their team for the future. I do. I think that's the best ‑‑ like I say, they're not going to get better in the next year.

They're not going to make the playoffs next year. So they're in a very awkward situation, because I understand why he doesn't want to stay there, I mean because, like I said, they're not going to be any good for the next couple of years.

You don't know what people are willing to give up. That's the only problem with that. But I think to me, like I said, they've got to try to get cap space release and draft pick, because they don't have good young players coming down the pipe.

But listen, that guy's a stud. Like I said, in my opinion he's the best power forward in the NBA and they just try to get the best deal possible, if I was them. Because you can't just let him walk. But try to get a couple of good young players couple of good draft picks I think that's the best you're going to be able to do.