The Miami Heat are reportedly moving forward under the presumption that Terry Rozier’s expiring contract can be used to negotiate potential trades, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Per Spotrac, Rozier is owed $26.6 million this season, with $24.9 million guaranteed. This is part of the four-year, $96.2 million contract extension he signed with the Charlotte Hornets in August 2021.
Terry Rozier Charged In Sports Betting Case
Rozier was arrested on Oct. 23 and charged by the Department of Justice for his alleged role in a sports gambling ring. Federal prosecutors allege that Rozier told a friend, Deniro Laster, he would leave a March 2023 game early so that he and others could win their wagers on his individual statistics, known as prop bets.
Federal prosecutors allege that Laster sold the confidential information to bettors for about $100,000. Rozier played just over nine minutes before leaving the game due to a foot injury.
Per the indictment, Rozier paid for Laster to travel to Philadelphia to collect the proceeds from the scheme before driving to Rozier’s home to count the money with him. Rozier and Laster were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The NBA also moved to withhold his salary in an interest-bearing account. If Rozier is cleared and allowed to return to the league, he would receive the held payments in full.
Heat Could Receive Clarity From NBA
In other news, Rozier had his arraignment in Brooklyn Federal Court on Monday as part of the FBI’s ongoing gambling investigation. The former first-rounder is not expected to appear in any games this season.
However, his salary could be used by the Heat to help complete a trade.
Per Winderman, a source familiar with the process said the Heat have not received “definitive clarity on whether Rozier can be traded, waived, or even whether the non-guaranteed portion of his contract can be reclaimed.”
The team expects to receive clarity on this issue later this week.
Note that Dec. 15 marks the unofficial start of the NBA trade season, when many players who signed new contracts over the summer become eligible to be traded. This applies to players who signed before Sept. 15.
The 2026 NBA trade deadline is Feb. 5.
Rozier Clears $8.2 Million Tax Lien
Winderman’s report comes a week after Rozier cleared his obligations for the $8.2 million IRS lien placed on him in November 2023. The IRS filed a certificate of release of a federal tax lien for Rozier on Oct. 29, 2025.
Per The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov, Rozier had “satisfied” the $8,218,211.70 he owed the federal government. The filing was recorded with the Broward County, Fla., clerk on Nov. 20.
Jim Trusty, Rozier’s lawyer, revealed in October that the lien had resolved.
“Several years ago, a flawed e-filing attempt led to the IRS issuing a lien for Terry’s full tax liability for 2021, roughly $8 million,” Trusty said then.
“Once the accountant clarified the situation with the IRS, Terry was found to owe only $3,000 in unpaid taxes for 2021. That amount has been taken care of and we fully expect the defunct lien to be withdrawn in the near future.”
