Heat waive Rozier, open roster spot to ink player for postseasonShams Charania
The Miami Heat waived embattled guard Terry Rozier on Friday, opening up a roster spot to sign a player for the postseason.
Miami has until Sunday to sign another player. The Heat open play in the play-in tournament either Tuesday or Wednesday.
NBA teams had until 5 p.m. Friday to waive a player with either an expiring contract or one where the team held an option for next season. Rozier is in the final year of a four-year, $97 million contract he originally signed with the Charlotte Hornets — a deal that pays him $26.6 million this season with Miami.
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Rozier has been away from the Heat since his arrest on Oct. 23 as part of a wide-ranging investigation into illegal sports betting. He was placed on leave by the NBA shortly thereafter for his alleged involvement in illegal sports betting dating back to his time with the Hornets.
Rozier has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges of wire fraud and money laundering.
Rozier was traded from Charlotte to Miami in January 2024, a deal that has come under scrutiny over whether the Heat should have been made aware of NBA and federal investigations into the alleged gambling conspiracy before the trade was completed.
The Hornets agreed to send a second-round pick in this June’s NBA draft to Miami to resolve the dispute. Miami owes its 2027 first-round pick (lottery protected, which becomes an unprotected 2028 first if it doesn’t convey) to Charlotte as part of the deal.
Commissioner Adam Silver called it an “unprecedented situation” in a news conference at the NBA Cup in Las Vegas in December.
Rozier has averaged 13.9 points per game in his career. He spent his first four seasons in Boston before stops with the Hornets and Heat.
ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
