NBA, Heat Look for Path Forward While Terry Rozier Sits on Unpaid Leave
nba-heat-look-for-path-forward-while-terry-rozier-sits-on-unpaid-leave
Commissioner Adam Silver said Tuesday that the league is working with the Miami Heat to address roster and salary-cap complications arising from guard Terry Rozier’s indefinite unpaid leave following his arrest on federal illegal-gambling charges.
Rozier, 31, was placed on leave earlier this month. An arbitration hearing between the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association is scheduled for Wednesday to decide whether the veteran should continue receiving his $26,643,031 salary, of which $24,924,126 is guaranteed. Until a ruling is reached, the money is being held in an escrow-style account.
The Heat traded for Rozier in January 2024, months after the alleged betting activity occurred while he was with the Charlotte Hornets. Miami was reportedly unaware of both the wagers and an ongoing league investigation at the time of the deal. Under the terms of that trade, the Heat still owe Charlotte a protected first-round pick: top-14 protected in 2027 and fully unprotected in 2028 if it does not convey.
Team officials have not been told whether they may waive Rozier or include his contract in a trade while he is sidelined. Cutting the guard on or before Jan. 7 could save the club a small amount of cap space because of the partial guarantee in his deal.
Speaking before the NBA Cup final in Las Vegas, Silver acknowledged Miami’s predicament when asked about possible salary-cap or draft considerations. “This is an unprecedented situation, and I’m incredibly sympathetic to the Heat and to their fans,” he said. “We’re going to try to work something through with them, but there’s no obvious solution at the moment.”
Silver noted that Rozier has not been convicted of any crime and emphasized that league officials are still gathering information. He did not offer a timeline for when the investigation—or any decision on roster relief—might be completed.
Source: HoopsRumors
