Shams Charania has joined ESPN as a replacement for Adrian Wojnarowski and Charania's relationship with FanDuel is now over.
The newsbreaker has an existing contract with FanDuel TV — a direct competitor of ESPN BET.
The business tie to FanDuel had caused Charania conflict-of-interest problems in the past and with ESPN BET in tow, his new career arrangement will be no different.
Before the 2023 NBA Draft, Charania incorrectly reported that Scoot Henderson was the likely No. 2 pick by the Hornets. Immediately after his tweet, odds on Henderson to go No. 2 overall shot down from +400 to -900. And yet, in the end, Charlotte selected Brandon Miller.
To that end, earlier this offseason, Charania reported that JJ Redick was the likely pick to become the next Lakers' head coach, plummeting those odds to as low as -210. The Lakers then proceeded to make a gargantuan offer to UConn head coach Dan Hurley, who wasn't even on the odds board at DraftKings and FanDuel. If Hurley accepted the offer, both books stood to win 100% of the money wagered on "Lakers Next Head Coach."
Hurley declined the offer and Redick eventually became the choice. But yet again, Charania's erroneous reporting created problems for his sportsbook partners.
Charania has also been noted for his overly verbose — and PR-adjacent — news breaks, language and framing that sounds like it's regurgitated from his sources.
Wojnarowski left his post at ESPN to become the general manager for St. Bonaventure basketball, where he attended undergrad.
