MIAMI – After the Miami Heat beat the Toronto Raptors to mark four straight wins, 114-104, star Jimmy Butler spoke about the trade rumors and the inclusion of his agent, Bernie Lee, in the drama. Butler's agent would call out ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania for his reporting on the forward, which said the team is open to trading him with preferred destinations from the star.
There is no doubt it has been a hectic past few days for the Butler camp as trade rumors have clouded them and the Miami organization as there has been a back and forth with even Charania doubling down on his reporting. Butler would have an NSFW response after the aforementioned victory Thursday night, where he would express his “love” for his agent sticking up for him.
“I f***ing love it,” Butler said. “I love it, I am all for the back and forth. Before he was my agent, he's like, I guess we're like brothers now, we do everything together, but I feel for him, at least somebody's sticking up for me.”
Jimmy Butler on his agent Bernie Lee going back and forth with Shams Charania. #HeatNation
“I f***ing love it, I’m all for the back and forth…” #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/JD5zGOR4NT— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) December 13, 2024
Jimmy Butler's agent says Shams Charania's reporting is “fabricated”
Lee would take to X, formerly Twitter, to say that what Charania has reported is “fabricated” and “utter made up bull.” What garnered the response was Charania's post that besides the Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, and the Golden State Warriors, Butler would also want to go to the Phoenix Suns if he were to be traded by the Heat.
“Alright listen,” Lee said Wednesday. “I gave you a pass yesterday because I was busy but if you don’t stop putting my name on your complete and utter made up bull— because you know you normally aren’t worth my time to acknowledge.”
“I don’t know what I’m going to do because I’m a middle aged dad, but just know it would indicate severe dislike,” Lee continued. “World… all this is fabricated. 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.’”
Jimmy Butler sets the record straight on orange hairstyle in Heat win
Butler set the internet ablaze with his new orange hairstyle, which he revealed on Instagram and later played with Thursday when Miami took on Toronto.
He would also address this after the game and said that “there's no subliminals” with the color choice, as there has been some speculation that the orange and prior colors were connected to the rumored teams Charania reported he'd want to be traded to.
“I can change my hair to whatever color I want to, and there's no subliminals in my hair,” Butler said. “I just been changing it a lot lately. Orange was the brightest color I had, so that's what I went with.”
In the win over the Raptors, Butler had a modest game, scoring 11 points on three for eight shooting, five for eight from the free throw line, to go along with five rebounds and four assists, while he also had a +16 on the floor in close to 30 minutes. The Heat could be at a turning point as they have a 13-10 record on four straight wins, looking to make it five in their next contest against the Detroit Pistons on the road on Monday, Dec. 16.
