Charles Barkley: Ben Simmons, Donovan Mitchell Should Share Rookie of the Year

The race for NBA Rookie of the Year between Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers and Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz should end in a tie, according to Charles Barkley.

Appearing on this week's Road Trippin podcast, Barkley thinks both Simmons and Mitchell have done enough to warrant sharing the honor. 

"The NBA … I wish they would just step in and just do the right thing," Barkley said, via Brad Rowland of Uproxx. "'Hey, listen, we don't care what the vote is. We're going to give it to both of y'all.'"

Mitchell led all rookies with 20.5 points per game, and his 187 three-pointers made was 28 more than any other first-year player. 

The Jazz star had his own unique take on the debate over who should win Rookie of the Year prior to an April 10 game against the Golden State Warriors, via SportsCenter:

Even though Simmons was drafted No. 1 overall by the Sixers in 2016, he's considered a rookie under NBA rules after missing all of last season with a fractured bone in his right foot. 

Simmons averaged 15.8 points, 8.2 assists and 8.1 rebounds per game. The 21-year-old finished third in the NBA with 12 triple-doubles during the regular season, trailing only Russell Westbrook (25) and LeBron James (18). 

There have been three ties in NBA Rookie of the Year voting since the award's inception during the 1952-53 season. The last one came when Steve Francis and Elton Brand split the vote after the 1999-2000 campaign. 

This year's winner will be announced at the NBA Awards Show on June 25 at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California.