PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia 76ers traded disgruntled All- Star forward Charles Barkley to the Phoenix Suns Wednesday for guard Jeff Hornacek, forward Tim Perry and center Andrew Lang.
The announcement was made by former Sixers' head coach and recently appointed General Manager Jim Lynam. Lynam said the trade was made to add youth and athleticism to the team and to address the 76ers' critical need at center.
'To be able to add three reasonably young players who are starters to your roster is a significant stroke,' Lynam added. 'I think this is a first step.'
Barkley, 29, will be entering his ninth season in the NBA and is a six-time All-Star selection. He led the 76ers 23.1 points a game last season and 11.1 rebounds in 75 games.
A member of the U.S. team that will compete in the Barcelona Olympics, Barkley has fallen out of favor in recent years with his off- court behavior and public criticism of Sixers teammates and management.
'You hate to give up a guy like Barkley,' new Sixers Coach Doug Moe said. 'Unfortunately, it would have been difficult with this team because of what's passed under the bridge. I still think Charles is a great player but I don't think he could have been a great player here any more given what's happened.'
Barkley was named to the All-NBA first team four seasons and was named to the second team for the third time this past season. He was named the All-Star MVP in 1991 and led the league in rebounding following the 1986-87 season.
Barkley has often been critical of the 76ers' front-office, particularly of owner Harold Katz. Barkley has said several times that unless there are moves made to build a strong playoff contending team, he would rather play somewhere else. The 76ers went 35-47 and missed the playoffs this past season.
Earlier Wednesday, a Milwaukee jury found Barkley not guilty of misdemeanor battery and disorderly conduct stemming from a December incident in which he punched a 26-year-old man and broke his nose.
Barkley was accused of breaking the nose of James McCarthy, 26, on Dec. 22 during an altercation at a bar following a 76ers loss to the Bucks in Milwaukee.
At the Milwaukee airport, Barkley took a final jab at Katz.
'I think they're (76ers) very insensitive,' he said. 'We're not slaves where you just shop us around for the highest bidder. You don't just say here is my stud and give us the best offer for it. It's their business, but it's more than their business, it's my life. They don't understand that. But now its over and I've got to move on.'
Hornacek, who turned 29 last month, led the Suns with 20.1 points per game and in steals. He added just over five assists a game and connected on 43.9 percent of his 3-point attempts.
Hornacek played in 81 of the 82 regular season games last year and has missed just 24 games due to injury over his six-year career. This will be just the second NBA team for Hornacek, who was taken in the second round by Phoenix in the 1986 draft.
'Hornacek is considered one of the best shooters in the league, who can play shooting guard and point guard,' Lynam said.
Perry, 27, just completed his fourth season in Phoenix and has ties to Philadelphia as he played at Temple. Perry has shown improvement since being drafted as a lottery pick in the 1988 draft. The 6-9 forward averaged a career-best 12.3 points and led the team in rebounding with 6.9 a game. He was also second on the team with 116 blocked shots.
Perry never played in more than 36 games in his first three years with the Suns, but missed just two games last season.
Lang, who'll turn 26 on June 28, isn't much of a scorer, but is a strong defensive player. He led the Suns last season with 201 blocked shots and was second in rebounding with 6.7 a game.
