Because its revisionist bullshit to just presume that the Rockets, standing pat, were going to somehow figure out a way to beat Seattle.... along with continuing to beat the Jazz. Did the Barkley trade ultimately work out? No. But for a team that was tied to an aging Hakeem/Clyde (for better or for worse), that move did optimize their chances to win a title with them... moreso than what Cassell and Horry were able to do. As I said above Cassell was not well thought of amongst the higher ups on the team. This was a direct quote from him not too long after the trade expressing that bitterness: “The guys I played with, they didn’t do that (in reference to Jordan taking all the blame for when the Bulls lost). I’m not saying no names, but they wanted to blame everybody else for their failures or the team’s failures. It wasn’t fair at all. Robert Horry and myself were the closest guys to blame.” The 96 Rockets finished 48-34... and that was a year after going 47-35. Yes, they caught fire in the playoffs and pulled off a run for the ages, but those post championship teams had significant issues that pushed them towards having to make a change.
You have a reference that says Hakeem wasn't a fan of Sam? Dream has never said anything negative about Sam nor have I ever heard bull say Dream was not a fan of Sam. If anything , Barkley didn't get along with Drexler and their team chemistry wasn't good at all. In the end, Barkley didn't win a ring and we're still hearing his BS today.
See the quote in my previous post. I don’t think Sam was referring to other role players. Dream never went on the record... and a ton of issues were swept under the rug in the early days pre-internet, and came out in anecdotes told by Bullard, Kenny Smith, and others. Their chemistry wasn’t great in 95 or 96 either. At least the team, when healthy, won at a much more consistent rate in 97.
