Shams Charania, Bernie Lee standoff proves everything is smoke and mirrors

For Charania's part, he has stood by his reporting.

NBA rumors are just that: rumors. They're the reporting of people close to a team, sharing what they've been told from those within or near to an organization. Following Adrian Wojnarowski's retirement, Charania is the biggest NBA insider in the world. 

However, Lee vehemently refutes the claim that he was involved in Charania's information gathering. While we will never know the truth, the situation has shed fresh light on the world of insider reporting.

When a team, player, coach or agent leaks information to the press, they do so with their own agenda in mind. A team may be looking to sound out potentially interested parties for a trade. A player could be looking to put pressure on the front office, be it for a contract extension, a trad, or even to strengthen the roster. There are countless different layers that could potentially be involved. 

Everything that comes out of an organization has a reason. The problem is that 99% of people aren't privy to that reasoning. Instead, we rely on what we're told. 

In the modern age of sports news, we must accept that all reporting without a cited source is smoke and mirrors. Yes, there's truth to those reports — they wouldn't make it to the press if there wasn't, especially from trusted outlets. But that doesn't mean there isn't an angle or agenda at play. 

Butler is likely open to being traded, and Miami's situation almost certainly positions it to be open to negotiations, too. But why, how and who provided that information will remain a mystery; Charania and Lee have proven that. Now, we wait and see where the next insider rumor comes from, who it involves and whether there's more pushback from agents or the players themselves. 

The NBA has become a 24-hour news cycle, in part due to the number of misdirections. Whether you like it or loathe it, this is all part of the league's success.