Terry Rozier probably won't be the biggest person to change teams before the Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline.
He may not even be the big name the Charlotte Hornets have moved.
But with the acquisition of a high-scoring combo guard in Kyle Lowry and a lottery-protected 2027 first-round pick on Tuesday, the Miami Heat are left wondering what their current team looks like now and in the future. It sent a clear message about what is happening and how it needs to change.
On the surface, this trade isn't all that appealing from Miami's perspective. The Heat got a clear upgrade by replacing Lowry with Rozier, but all they had to give up to make it happen was a future lottery-protected pick. That's natural.
Lowry has been on the bench for the last two games against Miami, and his form has been sluggish. The 37-year-old is averaging just 8.2 points and four assists this season and hasn't scored more than 10 points in a game since Christmas. With the addition of Rozier, the Heat now have a true bucket getter who averaged a career-high 23.2 points this season. He provides a specific skill set that Miami needs: 3-point shooting, secondary ball handling and solid shot-making at the end of games.
Rozier's performances in recent years have come in low-stakes games against a terrible Hornets team, but he's handled the offensive burden reasonably well. His shooting splits this season (46 percent from the field, 36 percent from 3, 85 percent from the free throw line) are pretty good for a high-volume scorer of his size (6-foot-1, 190 pounds). He's solid in late-game situations and isn't afraid to trade punches with the league's top players late in the fourth quarter.
It's been nearly five years since Rozier last appeared in the postseason, but he had some big moments on the big stage during his first four seasons with the Boston Celtics. From what we've seen, he doesn't seem like the type to cower under bright lights.
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What's interesting is that the Heat decided to make this trade two weeks before the deadline instead of waiting for it. On a fundamental level, Miami confessed that their current dynamic is not good enough. It's an important admission for a franchise that often survives through sheer will and know-how in the biggest moments against teams that seem to have more talent.
Maybe the heat isn't good enough yet. The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers are clearly at the top of the Eastern Conference, and the same will probably be true for Milwaukee despite their decision to fire coach Adrian Griffin. There could be some complications as coach Erik Spoelstra looks to integrate Rozier on both ends of the court. Still, the five-man group that includes Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Rozier and newcomer Jaime Jaquez Jr. is good enough to at least compete with just about any group in the East. That's probably all the Heat need to reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the fourth time in the past five years.
There's one obvious reason the Heat needed to pull off a trade like this early to give themselves a chance. That's because the Heat's offense is woefully sluggish. Since early January, he has ranked 28th in points per 100 possessions, but has been held to fewer than 100 points in four of his last six games since entering Wednesday. Almost every important player on the roster has missed time at some point during the season. But Butler, Herro, and Adebayo have all been out recently, and the team's offense still isn't as good as it needs to be to factor in its desire to make another deep run in the playoffs.
And let's be honest, Rozier is more than just a player who comes off the bench and plays 15-20 minutes per game. He should ultimately be the core of this team's identity, filling the starting role behind Butler and Herro. If you didn't watch Charlotte regularly (which most people don't), it's easy to overlook Rozier's performance. He will bring about change. Miami might have had other options if they had waited closer to the Feb. 8 deadline, but they need to act now instead of leaving the door open for someone to jump in for Rozier. I clearly recognized my gender.
In addition to that realization, the Heat revealed another big truth that the rest of the league is starting to accept. The idea is that elite scoring is the only way to win the title. This season, offenses across the league have risen to another level. Last season's No. 1 offense, the Sacramento Kings, finished the season with the highest offensive rating in league history at 118.6 points per 100 possessions. This mark ranks 8th this season. Anything other than great offense isn't enough.
In trading Rozier, Miami understands the reality that if you can't score at an elite level, it's nearly impossible to beat elite teams. The Heat continued to perform well during their run to the NBA Finals last season, shooting 39 percent from 3-point range through the first three rounds. In the end, they lost to Denver in the Finals and were eliminated, and players such as Gabe Vincent and Max Strass, who contributed greatly to the team's rise, are no longer there. Four of the top 10 offenses this season are East teams above Miami in the standings, with Indiana sitting a half-game behind the Heat.
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Heat-Hornets trade stats: Will Terry Rozier give Miami the scoring boost it needs?
Finally, while the Heat always lean toward a win-now approach, this trade also comes with future costs.
In moving Lowry, the Heat released $29.6 million in expiring salary, which could be a valuable asset for a team looking to free up cap space in the summer. In return, Miami will pay an additional $51.5 million, and Rozier has two years left on his contract. (According to Spotrac, his 2025-26 salary is $26.6 million, with $24.9 million guaranteed.) According to Spotrac, Rozier's 2025-26 salary is $26.6 million with $24.9 million guaranteed. (He will be fully guaranteed if he plays 70 games next season.) Unless he makes another drastic move. In the near future, Butler, Adebayo, Herro, and Rozier are expected to move to Miami next season for more than $24 million per season. Butler is scheduled to be paid $48.8 million in 2024-2025.
Rozier has improved the current Heat, but adding the remaining years on his contract to the books will make it an even tougher battle for the Heat to get the salary right and acquire the superstar talent they've been chasing for years. It's not impossible. Giving Charlotte just one first-round pick allows the Heat to maintain some flexibility in case another big name comes on the market. But the job becomes even more difficult. Also, if the Heat ultimately decide to offload Rozier, it's unlikely they'll get back a first-round pick equivalent to the one they gave to Charlotte.
Again, it becomes increasingly unlikely that a player of that size will be moved at all. Some might argue that acquiring Rozier would prevent Miami from jumping into potential negotiations for Donovan Mitchell. But Mitchell is probably not going anywhere, as he plays on a Cavaliers team that has a better record than Miami despite a rash of injuries. Maybe Miami will get another star inside line in the future like Mikal Bridges, Paul George, or other theoretical possibilities, but none of those names are better than the previous ones. Not likely.
Having Rozier in the building would ease some of the anxiety about the Heat's future, considering recent pursuits of Damian Lillard and Kevin Durant have failed. Rozier is certainly not at that level, but he could provide some of the scoring that Miami desperately needs.
Ultimately, this is the type of trade that shows the Heat aren't stuck on what's worked in the past and can clearly evaluate themselves without rose-tinted glasses. This team needed to improve quickly, and acquiring Rozier did that.
What impact will this move have on the future? Well, the Heat will worry about that once they get there.
(Top photo: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
