This summer, the Los Angeles Lakers made a decision to forego the slow-and-steady approach of their team-building strategy.

Not only were they fortunate enough to sign LeBron James in free agency, but they also added veterans Michael Beasley, Rajon Rondo, JaVale McGee and Lance Stephenson and also re-signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Those deals created some major question marks due to the presence of the team’s young nucleus. Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma and Moritz Wagner once represented the future of the franchise, but might now have to take a backseat.

Who will start? What will the rotations look like? Will the mix of youngsters and veterans get along? How will the team’s ball-handlers react to LeBron’s style of play? Will the current setup hurt the overall development of the youngsters?

At this point, there are many more questions than answers. We will, of course, find out the answers to those questions once the new season tips off, but some prominent names in the NBA community have been critical of the team’s signings. Hall of Famer Charles Barkley is one of them.

Sir Charles sounds off

“I don’t like what [the Lakers] are doing,” Barkley said during a promotional interview for his new deal with Panini America, per Sports Illustrated’s Ben Golliver. “It’s going to take away from their young nucleus. They’ve got some good young players. You’re trying to set up Lonzo, Ingram, Kuzma. With all that other stuff going on, I don’t know if that’s a good environment for those kids.”

Each of the team’s free agent signings will clearly cut into the potential playing time of the younger Lakers. Rondo and Ball will fight for time at the point. Caldwell-Pope and Hart will battle it out for minutes at the two-guard. James will clearly see more minutes than everyone and Beasley could join him in cutting into the time of Kuzma and Ingram. McGee most likely has the upper-hand to play over Wagner, the team’s 2018 first-round pick.

As a result, Barkley explained that coach Luke Walton’s job will be impossible.

“That’s an impossible scenario for Luke,” he said. “He’s got LeBron who is going to do things his way. He’s got those young kids who are probably in awe of LeBron. He’s got those older guys who are going to try to seek attention. I don’t think Lance and Rondo are going there to be the ninth or 10th guys on the bench and be quiet all year. They’re going to want touches.”

Will the Lakers figure things out? Only time will tell, but history is on LeBron’s side.

Even though sacrificing the development of the team’s young core can be considered a questionable move, all will be forgotten if they contend for a championship.