Inside The Heat

Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler On Agent Defending Him: "I Love It"

Jake Elman

Dec 8, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) defends Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images
Dec 8, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) defends Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images / Rhona Wise-Imagn Images
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Miami Heat superstar Jimmy Butler has entered the ongoing beef between agent Bernie Lee and ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania. 

Unsurprisingly, Butler sides with his agent. 

Lee ripped Charania on X (formerly Twitter) this week as the latter reported the latest trade rumors regarding Butler’s future in Miami. Of note, Lee called Charania’s reporting “fabricated” and questioned his credibility as a journalist. 

Speaking to reporters Thursday, Butler made it clear he appreciated his agent’s loyalty. 

“I f—— 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.’”

It’s been a busy week for Butler, who scored 11 points in Thursday’s 114-104 victory over the Toronto Raptors. Trade rumors have taken attention away from the Heat’s four-game winning streak. 

Charania reported the Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, and Phoenix Suns could all be suitors for Butler. He hits unrestricted free agency next summer. 

Butler didn’t fire back at Charania when he spoke with reporters. He’d rather everyone know he appreciates Lee having his back during an uncomfortable time.  

“At least somebody's sticking up for me," Butler said. 

After a slow start, the Heat have now won four straight. Even the wins keep piling, it is likely the trade rumors slow down.

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Jake Elman works as a contributing writer to Miami Heat on SI. He can be reached at jakeelman97@gmail.com or follow him on X @JakeElman97.

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Jake Elman
JAKE ELMAN

Jake Elman is a veteran sports journalist and graduate of Florida Atlantic University’s journalism program. In recent years, he has covered the NFL for EndGame360 and served as the sports content lead for ExpressVPN. He also covered the Lane Kiffin years at FAU for the Palm Beach Post.