Jimmy Butler’s agent blasted Shams Charania after trade rumors, and the ESPN reporter fired back.
NBA trade season is approaching starting Dec. 15 when newly signed players can be dealt, and that means Shams Charania is working overtime. The long-time NBA insider is in his first season at ESPN after replacing the legend Adrian Wojnarowski, and he reported the first big name to come onto the market earlier this week.
The Miami Heat are listening to offers on veteran star Jimmy Butler according to Charania, with Butler’s camp reportedly preferring to land with the Dallas Mavericks. Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors, or Phoenix Suns. Charania attributed his report to Butler’s agent, Bernie Lee. There’s only problem: Lee said the report is completely fabricated.
Lee fired back at Charania on Wednesday night with a series of Twitter posts calling out the reporter’s credibility. Charania shot back on Thursday during an appearance on ESPN’s First Take, and said his report is “1,000% facts.”
Here are Lee’s posts questioning Charania’s report about Butler:
Alright listen. I gave you a pass yesterday because I was busy but if you don’t stop putting my name on your complete and utter made up bullshit because you know you normally arent worth my time to acknowledge.. (continued) https://t.co/1KOXza9kUI
— Bernard Lee (@BernieoLee) December 11, 2024
I don’t know what I’m going to do because I’m a middle aged dad but just know it would indicate severe dislike. World… all this is fabricated. I have never and honestly it wouldn’t help me or the position I represent to do anything that’s been reported by said “journalist” https://t.co/1KOXza9SKg
— Bernard Lee (@BernieoLee) December 11, 2024
Shams this is your opportunity to say my bad “I let chat GPT write my tweets and it went old school Peter Vescey..” (Shams Peter was a writer in the 90’s) be a trend setter.. invent the new I was hacked. Carry on all. Thank you. https://t.co/1KOXza9kUI
— Bernard Lee (@BernieoLee) December 11, 2024
Those are some strong words from Lee. It’s odd that Charania would put Lee’s name directly in his report if the agent was going to shoot it down so vehemently, but sometimes that’s how the game works.
These Butler rumors didn’t exactly come out of nowhere. Top Heat executive Pat Riley publicly challenged Butler after last season, saying the star needs to “keep his mouth shut” about other teams and openly wondering if Butler could be durable enough to stay on the floor. The 35-year-old Butler has a player option after this season and is seeking a new long-term deal.
Charania went on ESPN on Wednesday and reported that Butler never requested a trade. ESPN colleague Brian Windhorst added that Butler’s preference is to re-sign with the Heat.
“I think Jimmy Butler’s preference would be to sign an extension in Miami. … Pat Riley came out at the end of last season and said that’s not what the Heat were doing.” @WindhorstESPN on Jimmy Butler’s future with the Miami Heat pic.twitter.com/bCZz4EYovv
— First Take (@FirstTake) December 12, 2024
Not that we necessarily needed this clarification, but Shams just said on First Take that Jimmy Butler has not requested a trade.
Windhorst added that Butler’s preference would be to sign a max contract with the Heat.
Both acknowledge that the contract weighs heavily on…
— Wes Goldberg (@wcgoldberg) December 12, 2024
Charania then went on to defend his report. He said stands behind his reporting that Butler prefers to be traded to the Rockets, Mavs, Warriors, or Suns if he’s dealt.
Here’s a clip of Shams defending his report:
The war between Jimmy Butler’s agent, Bernie Lee, and Shams Charania continues on this morning.
Shams has tripled-down on his Butler reporting with Stephen A. Smith in a First Take appearance.
“I 1000% stand by my reporting.” pic.twitter.com/Ojj6pztxOU
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) December 12, 2024
Butler’s player option is for $52.4 million next year. Charania’s original report said that Butler intends to opt out and search for a long-term deal. With so few teams having salary cap space next summer, it’s unlikely he’s going to approach that annual salary in a new deal without a trade.
The Heat have been a middling team in the Eastern Conference ever since their Cinderella run to the 2023 NBA Finals as a No. 8 seed. Miami has stabilized a bit lately, and are currently in a protected East playoff seed at 12-10 overall. The Heat are getting an amazing year out of Tyler Herro while Bam Adebayo plays below his usual standards. Butler has been good when he’s been on the floor.
It sure seems like trades are going to be hard to make this year because of the new CBA, which triggers for hard caps and punitive luxury tax penalties throughout the agreement. The Heat don’t want to tie big money to Butler if he can’t deliver them another deep playoff run. Butler wants to secure what is very likely the last big contract of his career.
The Butler trade rumors aren’t going away. Regardless of how it plays out, Charania’s feud with Lee will be a subplot to watch until Butler’s future is resolved.
