The Miami Heat’s worst-kept secret is Terry Rozier’s availability.
The Heat have been trying to trade Rozier all offseason, but nothing has come to fruition. For the last seven months, Rozier has been linked to a federal gambling probe dating back to 2023, when he was still with the Charlotte Hornets.
According to new details released in June, a bettor in Mississippi placed nearly $14K bets on unders for a game on a March 23rd (2023) game against the New Orleans Pelicans. All of them hit, netting the bettor $13K. Rozier scored just four points with five rebounds and two assists in 10 minutes before leaving the game with a foot injury.
Even though ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Rozier was cleared in June, there hasn’t been any sort of resolution to the federal investigation at the time of this publishing.
Not to mention, the 6-foot-1 guard is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career. After providing a much-needed spark to the Heat in 2023-24, Rozier averaged 10.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game on 39.1 percent shooting and 29.5 percent from 3-point range last season.
It was nothing short of a disaster.
Thus, his value as a trade asset couldn’t be lower.
Why the Heat should let Terry Rozier expire, if it comes to that:
On Tuesday, Five Reasons Sports’ insider Ethan Skolnick noted the Heat’s desperation to move the Heat guard:
Rozier is entering the final year of a $96 million deal at $26.6 million, but only $24.9 million will be guaranteed for 2024-25.
The Heat attached a second-round pick to get off Haywood Highsmith. I feel like I’m repeating myself, but they shouldn’t do the same with Rozier.
None of us is at the table negotiating, but the Heat aren’t getting anything of value back for the 31-year-old guard. And I predict they won’t unless 1.) He looks exactly like, or perhaps better than, he did in 2023-24 (a big ask) and 2.) The investigation clears.
If they can without taking back serious long-term money, then great! But unless that’s the case, there’s no upside to continuing to metaphorically light assets on fire so they can get off bad contracts. Let it expire!
The Heat have north of $60 million of expiring contracts heading into next summer.
A buyout wouldn’t be beneficial for either side. That would welcome a lofty dead cap figure for the Heat’s books. Plus, Rozier may not be able to find money elsewhere (investigation). Stretching him — which must be done by Aug. 29 — would be a bad idea, unless you care to have ~$16.6 million floating on the books for the next two seasons.
Letting his current contract expire is the best solution, even if he doesn’t provide any more value to the rotation.
There’s no telling when this federal probe pass. But what we do know is the Heat aren’t in any justifiable position to continue to burn assets — especially when not enough has been done to replenish their treasure chest.
Let it expire!
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Jovic looking good today vs Slovenia. https://www.eurohoops.net/en/eurobasket/1858820/serbia-slovenia-fiba-eurobasket-2025-preparation-friendly-game/
Even me would looking good against Slovenia.
What a shame.
Top scorer on team.
Serbia vs Slovenia tonight. It should be fun.
I wonder if Niko will guard Luka.
If Ware or Bam go down, Miami will be in very deep s***! Meanwhile, the Heat is sitting on 5 players who have played point guard:
If Miami is expected to be competitive, something must be done. That first 23 game stretch is going to be grueling. If the Heat has to do it without additional frontcourt help, it will be even more difficult, especially if either Ware or Bam has to miss any time due to injury. The only other frontcourt players available would be Jovic, Fontecchio and possibly Johnson.
The ball is in your court Pat. The season starts 9 weeks from today. Do your thing.
As it is, that’s the only option.
Its very likely, that his career in NBA is over, if investigation is not over very soon and he is cleared.
He is not a microwave type of player, so its very unlikely to even play, if he wont be in rotation from the start.
With all the guards we have, the betting problem, and the way he played last season, its very likely to not play a single minute this season. Its even possible, that Heat will separate him from the team.
Keep Rozier at least until the trade deadline. By that point, if his “mojo” is back, he could conceivably be part of the regular rotation or improve his marketability for a possible trade to a team looking for an experienced combo back-up guard.
Otherwise, he might be attractive to rebuilding teams looking for an expiring contract to improve their 2026-2027 cap space. For example, Sacramento may want to get DeRozan off the books, since he will still have a year left on his contract.
Worse case scenario, Rozier stays with the team until his contract expires and his $26.6M comes off the books.
Miami can also release him and stretch his salary over 3 years before the season starts ($26,643,031 divided by 3 = $8.9M).
If the Heat waits until the trade deadline, the team will already have played 56 of the season’s 82 games (68.3%) and Rozier will have been paid $18.2M. The remaining 26 games represent 31.7% of the total or $8.46M (the cost to buy him out).
If he is released and his remaining salary is instead stretched over 3 years at $2.68M per year, it would free up $5.78M to acquire a player at the deadline.
Best thing to do is bring Rozier into camp and let him demonstrate if he has his “Mojo” back. Then Miami can decide which route(s) to take.
I agree with everyone. Let it expire. Till then, use Terry in the Burks role, ninth man in the rotation, occasional instant offense. And, if he starts playing a little better, which is definitely possible, then up his usage. Still, have no expectations of him being a starter level player. That time has passed, but he can still be useful, albeit overpaid.
Don’t be hasty or desperate, just let the season play out. We probably won’t be able to trade him due to the combination of poor play and that gambling probe bringing his stock down close to Beasley level. So options are pretty slim. Verdict: let the contract expire.
Agree. No need to do anything other than play out the season.
The heat not going to be able to trade rozier unless they tag a player and some picks along with him