Heat Expected to Cut Terry Rozier Ahead of Playoffs
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The Miami Heat are planning to waive veteran guard Terry Rozier in the coming weeks, clearing a roster spot before the postseason, according to the Miami Herald.
Rozier, 31, has remained under contract all season despite being placed on leave in October after a federal arrest tied to illegal gambling. A team source told the newspaper that Miami intends to release him and add a new 15th man prior to the playoffs.
The Heat kept Rozier on the books through the trade deadline in case his expiring $26.6 million salary proved useful in a deal. With no trade materializing and the club comfortably below the luxury-tax threshold, waiving him now would let Miami absorb the remaining salary and sign a replacement to a rest-of-season minimum contract.
Miami has not rushed the move because injuries have not significantly thinned its depth chart. Young players such as Keshad Johnson and two-way guards Trevor Keels, Jahmir Young, and center Vladislav Goldin have struggled to find minutes even with a few veterans sidelined.
Delaying the decision preserves flexibility. If late-season injuries strike a specific position group, the Heat could target a free-agent veteran or convert a two-way player to a standard multiyear deal to make him playoff-eligible, the report noted.
Because Rozier’s deal expires after this season, league rules require Miami to place him on waivers by April 9 so he can clear before the regular season ends.
Source: Hoops Rumors
