The Miami Heat have opted to keep veteran guard Terry Rozier on their roster past Wednesday’s 5 p.m. deadline to release players before all contracts become fully guaranteed.
Heat Could Have Saved $1.7 Million
This means Rozier’s full $26.6 million salary is now guaranteed. His contract had been partially guaranteed for $24.92 million, so Miami could have saved just over $1.7 million in cap savings by waiving him.
Had the Heat released Rozier, it would’ve opened up a second spot on the 15-man roster and given the club the ability to add two players on standard contracts without going over the luxury tax line.
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.
After the news broke, Rozier was placed on unpaid leave by the Heat and NBA. The league 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.
Miami Expected To Trade Terry Rozier
The Heat are keeping Rozier on the roster for salary-matching purposes in a potential trade.
The NBA hasn’t confirmed whether Miami would be permitted to use Rozier’s salary in a trade, but the team is said to be “confident” that the league would approve a deal that includes his expiring contract.
League insider Marc Stein reported in December that no ruling will likely be made until a trade is agreed upon.
“NBA commissioner Adam Silver remained non-committal about the trade status of Terry Rozier when asked about the Miami guard Tuesday at an NBA Cup press conference, but the Heat are said to be quietly confident that a trade involving Rozier’s $26.6 million salary between now and the Feb. 5 trade deadline would ultimately be ratified,” Stein wrote.
“As previously reported by The Stein Line, no formal ruling from the league office on whether Rozier’s salary can be included in a transaction this winter is likely to be made until a trade is actually agreed upon and sent to the NBA for the standard approval process.”
The Heat acquired Rozier in a trade with the Charlotte Hornets in January 2024.
In 64 games (23 starts) with Miami last season, Rozier averaged 10.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 25.9 minutes per contest while shooting 39.1% from the field and 29.5% from 3-point territory.
