NBA insider Shams Charania reveals alarming screen time report during free agency

There ain’t no rest for the wicked … or for NBA insiders during the free agency period. The Athletic‘s Shams Charania — one of the top reporters in basketball — revealed just how absurd life becomes for those in the business during this time of the year.

Charania shared his weekly screen time update in a post on Instagram. And it’s pretty strong evidence that the business of NBA reporting can be a 24-7 job.

The average of Charania’s screen time? A shocking 19 hours and 1 minute. Essentially, he’s not getting any sleep during this hectic period of NBA free agency.

Shams screentime during NBA free agency is even more absurd than you would imagine 🐐 pic.twitter.com/MSMUtm6d8r

— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) July 3, 2023

We’d imagine Charania is ready for a nap — or a vacation — when the NBA’s free agency period finally comes to an end.

The screen time image does provide fans with some pretty good insight as to what life is like for major reporters in the business. Regardless of the sport, free agency moves can happen at any time of day. You’ve got to stay on your toes and be alert at all times in order to get the first scoop.

That’s why Charania is easily one of the best in the business.

Big news involving NBA star Damian Lillard

One of the biggest news items of NBA free agency didn’t even involve a free agent. Instead, it involved Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard requesting a trade.

Chris Haynes of the NBA on TNT reported the news over the weekend. It’s also reported that the seven-time NBA All-Star would like to join an Eastern Conference contender like the Miami Heat or Brooklyn Nets.

Lillard was the No. 6 overall selected by Portland in the 2012 NBA Draft. He’s been the face of the Trail Blazers franchise for over a decade. Per Yahoo, Lillard is owed $216.2 million over the next four seasons.

Lillard has spent his entire 11-year NBA career in Portland. He’s coming off a year in which he averaged a career-best 32.2 points per game while shooting over 46% from the floor.

The sharp-shooters’ request for a trade probably comes as he doesn’t feel Portland is making a strong enough effort to compete for a championship. In 2022, he told Dave Pasch he’d stick around if he saw a commitment from the organization.

“I feel like we’ll have a chance to win,” he said, per Yahoo. “I feel like that moment is going to come, I feel like that opportunity is going to come, and that’s that. As long as I feel that our organization is putting their best foot forward and we’re on the same page about doing everything that we can do to win, then I’m willing to go out swinging.

“I want to win in Portland. It would mean something to me to do it here. There’s some significance to that for me, and I don’t say that with the expectation that they couldn’t ever decide one day that, ‘All right, we want to move on. What do you want to do?’ This is me being loyal to who I am, and how I feel and what I want to see happen. I would love to finish my career here. That’s my plan, and that’s that.”

Plans are changing for Lillard and the Blazers.