Shams Charania raises concerns over potential conflict of interest after Scoot Henderson tweet

The Athletic’s NBA insider Shams Charania has been a topic of conservation in the Association’s social media orbit since Thursday’s Draft, relating to a tweet and his partnership with sportsbook, FanDuel.

Charania tweeted Thursday afternoon that widely expected No. 3 pick Scoot Henderson was ‘gaining serious momentum at No. 2’ — a pick held by Charlotte — in the hours prior to the Draft. 

His tweet seems nothing out of the ordinary. An insider sharing information, what could be wrong there? 

Well, questions were raised as to the motives held by Charania – who is a partner with FanDuel – after betting markets resultantly changed prior to the Hornets’ eventual, and expected, selection of Alabama’s Brandon Miller with the second overall pick.

Was Charania working for media outlets; The Athletic and Stadium at the time or the tweet, or more sinisterly, FanDuel? That is the question currently being asked by many on social media. 

NBA insider Shams Charania has come under online scrutiny for his tweet prior to the Draft

Charania tweeted Thursday midday that contrary to the betting market, Henderson was a chance to head to the Charlotte Hornets with the No. 2 overall pick. Ultimately, it did not occur

Adrian Wojnarowski seemed to fire a shot in his tweet regarding Charlotte’s section of Miller

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski ostensibly fired a less-than-subtle shot at Charania in his tweet after the Hornets took Miller. 

‘All along, the entire Charlotte Hornets organization has been all-in on Brandon Miller — ownership, front office, scouts, coaches,’ Wojnarowski tweeted Thursday. ‘They see him as a perennial future All-Star player.’

‘FanDuel is not privy to any news that Shams breaks on his platforms,’ a FanDuel spokesman said in a statement to the Action Network. 

‘I don’t think there is anything nefarious going on, but find it puzzling that a regulated sportsbook is allowed to take bets on the NBA Draft and also employ an “insider” who can tweet nonsense that can move betting markets,’ former Mavericks executive Haralabos Voulgaris tweeted Friday.

NFL insider Ian Rapoport sympathized with Charania and dismissed the reality of something sinister occurring, suggesting getting wrong information occurs. 

‘This unfortunately does happen because reporting on the draft is incredibly hard,’ he said on the Pat McAfee show Friday.