Details have emerged on the Miami Heat trading for guard Terry Rozier.
BREAKING: The Heat are acquiring Terry Rozier for Kyle Lowry and a 2027 first-round pick, per @wojespn pic.twitter.com/ZXXwRuFK8M
— Heat Nation (@HeatNationCom) January 23, 2024
The 2027 first-round pick Miami is sending to Charlotte for Terry Rozier is lottery protected, per source, and then becomes unprotected in 2028.
— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) January 23, 2024
The Hornets have no immediate plans to work on a buyout with Lowry and are expected to see if they can work another trade for him before the February 8 deadline, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 23, 2024
In 30 games played with the Charlotte Hornets this season, Rozier averaged 23.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game while shooting 45.9 percent from the floor and 35.8 percent from 3-point range.
He had a big scoring performance against the Heat back on Jan. 14. In 35 minutes of playing time, he dropped 26 points to go along with five rebounds and seven assists.
In order to acquire Rozier, the Heat gave up Kyle Lowry, who showed signs of aging in his third season with Miami. He averaged 8.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game while shooting 42.6 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from deep across 37 appearances with the Heat during the 2023-24 regular season.
The 37-year-old had a really difficult time scoring the ball in his final few games with the Heat before being traded. He didn’t score more than four points in any of his four most recent games with Miami and shot 1-of-9 from the floor and 0-of-6 from deep in the team’s loss to the Orlando Magic on Jan. 21.
Along with Lowry, the Heat also traded a 2027 first-round pick to the Hornets.
Rozier will join a Heat team that is in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff picture right now. Miami currently owns the No. 6 seed in the conference at 24-19 and is two games back of the New York Knicks — who have won three games in a row and eight of their last 10 — for the conference’s No. 5 seed.
Rozier is apparently “thrilled” about getting traded to the Heat. Just last week, it was reported he was interested in joining the franchise.
Rozier is thrilled about trade, according to associate https://t.co/7FNl6eWrpq
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) January 23, 2024
The Heat’s next opportunity to snap their losing streak will come when they take on the Memphis Grizzlies at home on Wednesday. After playing the Grizzlies, Miami will then host the Boston Celtics — who own the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 34-10 record — on Jan. 25.
Heat fans should be excited about the acquisition of Rozier, as he has been one of the better scorers in the NBA this season on top of being a productive playmaker.
