CNNers: Licht Chucks a brick

CNN’S new CEO Chris Licht is looking for a slam dunk — and he hopes to find it in Charles Barkley, we hear. But network insiders think it makes Licht seem like a basket case.

Licht — who developed something of a wunderkind reputation in the industry after he helped Stephen Colbert beat late night rival Jimmy Fallon at his last gig — took over at CNN in May after former boss Jeff Zucker was sunk by scandal.

But ratings at the network — which is in the midst of another scandal after anchor Don Lemon suggested White House hopeful Nikki Haley is “past her prime” — have been in a downward spiral. And Page Six has confirmed that execs have been in talks with the NBA legend and longtime broadcaster about appearing on the 24-hour news channel in hopes he can help the numbers rebound.

But insiders tell us a deal with Barkley would be another way to alienate employees, who are already skeptical of Licht’s decisions.

“He’s taken so many swings and they’ve been big misses! It’s very sad how he’s taking this iconic brand and destroying it,” a source said.

Barkley has appeared on the “Inside the NBA” postgame show on TNT (which is part of the same corporate family as CNN) since 2000.

Another source described the potential new hire as “another disaster waiting to happen” and likened it to MSNBC’s failed prime-time show “Up Late with Alec Baldwin,” which lasted only five episodes in 2013.

“People watch him to talk about sports, not politics and social justice issues and he’s expensive,” they pointed out. Not to mention, they added, “They’ll be spending a lot of money on someone who’s not a real journalist. That’s not going to help morale when people have lost jobs there.”

A CNN rep said, “You can find people to anonymously hate on every decision at every organization in the world. CNN is in talks with some incredible talent to reimagine prime time and we won’t be distracted.”