NBA commerce season is approaching beginning Dec. 15 when newly signed gamers may be dealt, and which means Shams Charania is working additional time. The long-time NBA insider is in his first season at ESPN after changing the legend Adrian Wojnarowski, and he reported the primary huge title to return onto the market earlier this week.
The Miami Warmth are listening to provides on veteran star Jimmy Butler based on 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 back to Butler’s agent, Bernie Lee. There’s solely drawback: Lee mentioned the report is totally fabricated.
Lee fired again at Charania on Wednesday night time with a sequence of Twitter posts calling out the reporter’s credibility. Charania shot again on Thursday throughout an look on ESPN’s First Take, and mentioned his report is “1,000% information.”
Listed below are Lee’s posts questioning Charania’s report about Butler:
Alright pay attention. I gave you a cross yesterday as a result of I used to be busy however should you don’t cease placing my title in your full and utter made up bullshit as a result of you realize you usually arent value 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 as a result of I’m a center aged dad however simply know it could point out extreme dislike. World… all that is fabricated. I’ve by no means and actually it wouldn’t assist me or the place I symbolize to do something that’s been reported by mentioned “journalist” https://t.co/1KOXza9SKg
— Bernard Lee (@BernieoLee) December 11, 2024
Shams that is your alternative to say my dangerous “I let chat GPT write my tweets and it went old fashioned Peter Vescey..” (Shams Peter was a author within the 90’s) be a pattern setter.. invent the brand new I used to be hacked. Stick with it all. Thanks. https://t.co/1KOXza9kUI
— Bernard Lee (@BernieoLee) December 11, 2024
These are some sturdy phrases from Lee. It’s odd that Charania would put Lee’s title straight in his report if the agent was going to shoot it down so vehemently, however typically that’s how the sport works.
These Butler rumors didn’t precisely come out of nowhere. High Warmth government Pat Riley publicly challenged Butler after final season, saying the star must “hold his mouth shut” about different groups and brazenly questioning if Butler might be sturdy sufficient to remain on the ground. The 35-year-old Butler has a participant choice after this season and is searching for a brand new long-term deal.
Charania went on ESPN on Wednesday and reported that Butler by no means requested a commerce. ESPN colleague Brian Windhorst added that Butler’s desire is to re-sign with the Warmth.
“I feel Jimmy Butler’s desire could be to signal an extension in Miami. … Pat Riley got here out on the finish of final season and mentioned that is not what the Warmth had been doing.” @WindhorstESPN on Jimmy Butler’s future with the Miami Warmth pic.twitter.com/bCZz4EYovv
— First Take (@FirstTake) December 12, 2024
Not that we essentially wanted this clarification, however Shams simply mentioned on First Take that Jimmy Butler has not requested a commerce.
Windhorst added that Butler’s desire could be to signal a max contract with the Warmth.
Each acknowledge that the contract weighs closely on…
— Wes Goldberg (@wcgoldberg) December 12, 2024
Charania then went on to defend his report. He mentioned stands behind his reporting that Butler prefers to be traded to the Rockets, Mavs, Warriors, or Suns if he’s dealt.
Right here’s a clip of Shams defending his report:
The conflict 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 look.
“I 1000% stand by my reporting.” pic.twitter.com/Ojj6pztxOU
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) December 12, 2024
Butler’s participant choice is for $52.4 million subsequent yr. Charania’s unique report mentioned that Butler intends to decide out and seek for a long-term deal. With so few groups having wage cap area subsequent summer time, it’s unlikely he’s going to strategy that annual wage in a brand new deal and not using a commerce.
The Warmth have been a middling workforce within the Japanese Convention ever since their Cinderella run to the 2023 NBA Finals as a No. 8 seed. Miami has stabilized a bit currently, and are presently in a protected East playoff seed at 12-10 general. The Warmth are getting a tremendous yr out of Tyler Herro whereas Bam Adebayo performs beneath his traditional requirements. Butler has been good when he’s been on the ground.
It positive looks like trades are going to be onerous to make this yr due to the brand new CBA, which triggers for onerous caps and punitive luxurious tax penalties all through the settlement. The Warmth don’t need to tie huge cash to Butler if he can’t ship them one other deep playoff run. Butler desires to safe what could be very possible the final huge contract of his profession.
The Butler commerce rumors aren’t going away. No matter the way it performs out, Charania’s feud with Lee will probably be a subplot to observe till Butler’s future is resolved.
