The Miami Heat have had a lot of questions this season revolving around Terry Rozier. Rozier was arrested before the season started for his alleged role in a gambling scandal in which he allegedly manipulated his performance. He hasn’t played in the NBA since last season.
Rozier hasn’t been on a roster for a while. In fact, the Heat waived him a few months ago to make room for others on the roster. However, it has been unclear whether Miami was going to have to pay his salary. Rozier has been claiming that he is still owed his $26.6 million salary.
Now, an arbitrator has finally given Miami a resolution to this issue.
GettyMiami Heat guard Terry Rozier drives the ball. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Judge Rules Miami Heat Don’t Owe Terry Rozier’s Salary
An arbitration judge has ruled in favor of the Heat. According to the judge, Rozier breached his obligations to play for the Heat. Now, Miami is off the hook for paying a large amount of money to a player who didn’t suit up for them this season in a single game.
Had the NBA been able to rule on this issue sooner, they might have been able to use his large salary in a trade. However, the Heat were not given permission to do that. In the end, they had to just waive him and eat the fact that they were not going to get anything of value from him.
Rozier is now a free agent in the NBA, but his career is almost certainly over. He is still under investigation by the government. Adam Silver will likely ban him once the findings from the government are finished. He has made it clear that anyone betting on the NBA is not welcome to play in the league.
GettyMiami Heat guard Terry Rozier dribbles the ball in a game. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
Miami has Moved on From Its Massive Mistake to Trade for Terry Rozier
Trading for Rozier ended up being a gigantic mistake for the team. He was much worse for Miami than he was for Charlotte, and they gave up valuable draft capital to get him. Now that the mistake is fully behind them, the team can finally move on and plan for the future.
Not having Rozier’s salary on the books makes it easier for the Heat to make a trade. They are eyeing a swap for Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is the best player available on the trade market this summer. Adding someone with his skill set would make the Heat a playoff team again.
No one could have foreseen the issues that Rozier was going to have in Miami. Trading for him ended up being a mistake, but his on-court play wasn’t something that should have told them not to bring him in. Pat Riley wants to compete next season, as he does not want to start a rebuild.
The Heat seem to be the favorites to land Antetokounmpo, but other teams will come in with strong offers.
Miami Heat Finally Get a Resolution to the Terry Rozier Situation