The agent for NBA star Jimmy Butler is pushing back against trade rumors reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania. Charania recently claimed that Butler’s agent suggested the Miami Heat forward might be open to a trade to contending teams. The Heat are currently sitting in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, just above the .500 mark.
According to Charania, Butler’s potential trade destinations included the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors, and Phoenix Suns. Butler, who is 35 years old and a six-time All-Star, addressed the rumors publicly, saying he didn’t mind the attention, adding, “I actually like it… It’s good to be talked about. I don’t think there’s such a thing as bad publicity — to a point.”
However, Butler’s agent, Bernard Lee, quickly rejected Charania’s report, calling it “complete and utter made up bulls***” in a post on X (formerly Twitter). Lee denied ever making any such statements and stressed that it would not serve his client’s interests. “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,’” Lee wrote.
Lee also took a jab at Charania, sarcastically suggesting that the insider should admit to using an AI tool like ChatGPT to write his tweets, referencing a past sports journalist known for controversial reports.
Despite the backlash, Charania, a respected NBA insider, has yet to respond to Lee’s accusations. Meanwhile, a community note has been added to Charania’s original post regarding Butler’s trade possibilities.
