NBA Insider Shams Charania reported on Wednesday that Jimmy Butler has named the Phoenix Suns among the list of trade destinations he’d consider getting traded to. However, Butler’s agent, Bernard Lee, shut down the reports on X (formerly Twitter). Lee claimed that Charania’s reports were “fabricated.”
On Thursday, the ESPN reporter defended himself at the show “First Take.” During one segment, Stephen A. Smith asked Charania about his exchange with the agent.
“I 1,000% stand by my reporting,” Charania said. “It’s fully vetted. And as a professional, that’s what I do, that’s what I get paid to do, that’s what I’m going to do, eport truthfully and accurately. That’s what this is. Period.”
Smith asked Charania to recall his entire report about Butler that led to him being called out by Lee.
“Tuesday, I reported that the Miami Heat have begun listening to trade offers for Jimmy Butler and Butler prefers a win-now destination. Three of the teams, on Tuesday, that I reported that his agent has indicated in league circles that he is open to the Mavericks, Rockets, two Texas teams, as well as the Golden State Warriors.”
Shams sends a message to Jimmy’s agent
"I 1000% stand by my reporting. It's fully vetted. And as a professional, that's what I do, that's what I get paid to do… report truthfully and accurately. That's what this is. Period."
(h/t @ClutchPoints )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 12, 2024
“Yesterday, I added that there was another team. Also in that list, the Phoenix Suns. That was the reporting and I 1,000% stand by it. It is 1,000% facts.”
Lee has yet to respond to what Charania claimed at Smith’s show.
Butler’s new hair color hints at proving the NBA insider right
Throughout the 2024-25 NBA season, Jimmy Butler has kept fans on their toes with his varying hair colors. Ahead of the Heat’s 114-104 win over the Toronto Raptors, Butler debuted a different hair color. The six-time All-Star had orange-dyed hair, which matched the color of one of the teams he’s been linked to.
The Suns have the color orange in their color scheme and logo. Surprisingly, Butler’s choice of color is similar to the shade that the Phoenix team has.
Since the season started, he’s been linked to other teams in the league as his contract is set to expire and he’ll hit free agency next summer if he opts out of his player option. With every team he’s been rumored with, Butler puts on the color as his new hair color.
Jimmy Butler continues his hair color trolling 😭💔
Blonde (Warriors)
Blue (Mavs)
Red (Rockets)
Now Orange (Suns) pic.twitter.com/yU4xWfJoH0— 𝙃𝙀𝘼𝙏 𝙉𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 (@HeatvsHaters) December 12, 2024
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Follow me on X at @BarbecueBro, and follow us at @HardwoodHeroics and @GridironHeroics. You can also reach out to Reign Amurao via email at reignamuraonba@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest sports news, click here!
Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen with Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
