Jimmy Butler's agent absolutely popped off on ESPN reporter Shams Charania on Wednesday after the NBA insider shared a series of reports suggesting Butler was open to a trade before the end of the season.
The agent, Bernie Lee, took issue with Charania not only naming Lee as a source of some of this information, but also with the fact that the information was, in Lee's words, "complete and utter made-up bulls--t."
And Butler, for one, seemed to take no issue with the very public social media display.
Asked about it all on Thursday—following the Miami Heat's win over the Toronto Raptors— the forward replied: "I f---ing love it, I am all for the back and forth. Before he was my agent ... I guess we're like brothers now, we do everything together. But I feel for him. And at least somebody's sticking up for me."
Here's a clip of that response:
Jimmy Butler on his agent Bernie Lee going back and forth with Shams Charania. #HeatNation
— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) December 13, 2024
“I f***ing love it, I’m all for the back and forth…” #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/JD5zGOR4NT
Now, it is worth noting that as recently as Wednesday afternoon, Butler had told The Miami Herald that the trade speculation "doesn't bother me one bit." His comments above suggest perhaps some annoyance, especially the "sticking up for me" bit, but maybe it's all just a show of support for Lee.
Charania also backed up his reports during an ESPN appearance on Thursday.
In any event, Butler's contract is up at the end of the 2024-25 season. So while Charania's mid-season trade talk might not come to fruition, we'll probably be discussing a new home for Butler soon enough. Moreover, additional reports suggest that while a trade isn't concretely on the table, it's not concretely off the table either. The TLDR; it's complicated.
More of the Latest Around the NBA
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jimmy Butler Gives Frank Response When Asked About His Agent Beefing With Reporter.
