Jimmy Butler’s agent and Shams Charania are beefing in the media over new trade rumors

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:

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.

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:

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.