Charles Barkley says the quiet part out loud about the Mavericks' Anthony Davis mess

Dallas Mavericks fans are growing tired of Anthony Davis sitting on the bench, but they have a new face to be thankful for, and that's Cooper Flagg. During halftime of the Christmas Day game between the Mavericks and Golden State Warriors, NBA Hall of Fame forward and analyst Charles Barkley made a revelation that fans can agree on at this point, regardless of how harsh it seemed. This is Cooper Flagg's team now.

"What are the Mavs gonna do? They in trouble now. Because it’s clear to me that Anthony Davis, as much as we like him and love him as a player, he’s never gonna be healthy," Barkley said. "I think I might move on...If I was running the team, I’d say, ‘You know what? It’s Cooper’s team now."

Barkley was on ESPN to say that the Mavs should move on from Davis at this point. He's too injured, and the Mavs aren't going to go anywhere with him. He won't last any meaningful minutes, and it's time for the Mavs to pull the plug on the project.

Charles Barkley says the Mavericks already belong to Cooper Flagg

Fans who have been around for decades aren't surprised to hear Barkley's bold and controversial takes, but is this really controversial at this point? Davis has only played in 25 games with Dallas since being traded to the Mavericks in February, and this is fewer than Flagg has played in the NBA at this point. This was the exact fear that Mavs fans had when the team traded for him, and it's all come true.

Flagg has been the breath of fresh air so much that Barkley called the Mavs "Cooper's team" just as he turned 19. Fans who have grown wary of Davis appearing on the court will easily agree with this. Davis' new injury is definitely the last straw for some fans, and they don't care where he goes. They just want him to be traded so the team can start fresh.

That wish may be granted by this season's trade deadline, as Davis has been linked to the Atlanta Hawks, with possibly a former top pick on the way if Dallas trades him there. Zacharrie Risacher would likely be involved in a trade with Davis, and Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kennard's expiring contracts could also be on the way. Fans may be done with Porzingis, given his recent health issues, but fans may not care.

Fans want Flagg to lead this team for the future. The latest injury should also make it easy for Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley not to give Davis an extension at the end of the season. He's had more than enough chances to prove he belongs on the court, and he's underachieved at staying healthy.

Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry have given Flagg his flowers. This shows how Flagg is more than ready to take over on his own and become the next NBA superstar, as he is just averaging less than 20 points per game. His 3-point shooting will have to improve, but Flagg has all the time in the world to get better with that. Not even LeBron James has mastered his shooting, but Flagg isn't a terrible shooter by any means, and he has plenty of room to get better.

Kyrie Irving is the other veteran leader of this team, but Barkley may be right. Mavs fans who are done with Davis at this point will highly agree with him. Flagg is learning to develop his craft, but he also needs to get ready to lead this team.