It’s no secret that veteran guard Terry Rozier’s tenure with the Miami Heat hasn’t gone as planned, but according to team insider Ira Winderman, Rozier has “never” been an issue in the locker room.
Per Winderman, Rozier “comes to work ready to play, ready to support” and “has been a very good teammate.” Ex-Heat star Jimmy Butler caught a little bit of shade in the process of Winderman’s explanation.
“Based on last season’s performance and the outside swirl regarding Terry Rozier, I can’t see any takers without a sweetener,” Winderman wrote. “And I can’t see the Heat adding a sweetener when they already sent out a first-round pick for Terry that is coming due in 2027 or ’28. If there is a Terry trade, it likely would be another team trying to move off future money in exchange for Terry’s expiring deal (meaning not Heat cap space next summer), or as his salary being packaged as part of a bigger deal. The thing is if Terry is not as terrible as he was last season, he is a player that could be able to help an offensively challenged team. But the one constant with Terry, through good and bad times with the Heat, is he never has been an issue in the locker room, nothing like Jimmy Butler. He comes to work ready to play, ready to support. He has been a very good teammate.”
Rough production and a gambling investigation (stemming from his Charlotte Hornets tenure) are among the factors that have clouded Rozier’s time with the Heat. When he came over to the organization in the middle of the 2023-24 season, he was seen as a key addition, but it simply hasn’t panned out.
His first season with the team ended in disappointing fashion when he wasn’t able to take the floor in the playoffs due to injury, and in his second season with the team, he just didn’t look like himself. Rozier averaged a mere 10.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game last season while shooting 39.1 percent from the field and 29.5 percent from deep.
Now, with Rozier under club control for one more season, his future is a bit of a question mark, but it seems clear that his stint with Miami will end no later than the 2026 offseason. It’s unclear if the team will part ways with him before then, though efforts have been made.
Earlier in his career, Rozier had some strong seasons and often hovered around 20 points per game. He may simply need a change of scenery in order to get his rhythm back. At 31 years old, he could still carve out some productive seasons in the league.
At the very least, it’s nice to hear that Rozier has been a good teammate with the Heat, especially since it’s easy for a struggling player to let those frustrations carry over into the locker room. If he remains with the team going into the new season, hopefully he’ll be able to make a positive impact.
