Terry Rozier Is Getting Waived by Miami, and It's the Messiest Situation the NBA Has Seen in Years
The Miami Heat are cutting ties with guard Terry Rozier on Friday, and honestly, this whole situation has been a disaster from the jump. Rozier's been sitting on the sidelines since October after federal indictments into sports gambling activity, and now Miami is finally making the move to open up a roster spot for the playoffs.
How We Got Here: A Gambling Investigation That Won't Go Away
This started back in October when Rozier was arrested as part of a federal investigation into illegal gambling. At the time he was still with the Charlotte Hornets. He's pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges of wire fraud and money laundering, and the league put him on leave. His $26.6 million salary expires this summer, but that money's been locked up in escrow while his case plays out. So he hasn't been paid, hasn't been playing, and the whole thing has been a legal nightmare.
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👉 Claim Your Free $10 at KalshiThe Trade That Should Have Never Happened
Here's where it gets messy: Miami traded for Rozier from Charlotte back in January 2024, and people are still asking whether the Heat should have known about the NBA and federal investigations before that deal went down. The Hornets apparently didn't give Miami the full picture, and now the Heat are getting a second-round pick in this June's draft as compensation to settle the dispute. Miami also owes Charlotte a 2027 first-round pick (lottery protected, turning into an unprotected 2028 first if it doesn't convey) as part of the original trade.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called this an "unprecedented situation" at the NBA Cup in Las Vegas back in December. Unprecedented is one way to put it. It's the kind of mess that makes you wonder how something this big slips through the cracks in the first place.
Now Miami gets to reset that roster spot and try to make a playoff run without Rozier's contract hanging over them. The league moves on, but this case is far from over.
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