One Eastern Conference scout is a big fan of the Miami Heat’s recent move for Terry Rozier.
The scout described Rozier as “perfect” for the Heat during a conversation with the Miami Herald‘s Barry Jackson and later explained that the newcomer improves Miami’s status in the East.
In the eyes of the scout, the Heat are now better than the New York Knicks. Some Heat fans may have liked the team’s chances against the Knicks even before the trade, but now, this particular scout is also on board.
“The guy is much better than what they had,” the scout said. “Whether he’s a starter or sixth man, he’s major minutes guy and he’s going to give them some juice. It’s like an instant [injection]. I think it moves them up; to me, they’re better than New York now.”
This week, the Heat agreed to trade Kyle Lowry and a future first-round pick to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Rozier. The move has been met with lots of excitement in South Florida.
The Knicks (27-17) are currently ahead of the Heat (24-19) in the standings, but when the two teams met in the 2023 NBA Playoffs, Miami took care of business in six games. The Heat ultimately reached the NBA Finals before falling to the Denver Nuggets.
Rozier should bring a lot to the table for the Heat and give them some new life in the backcourt. This season, the 29-year-old is averaging 23.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game while shooting 45.9 percent from the field and 35.8 percent from 3-point range.
With Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro already in the fold, there won’t be a ton of pressure on Rozier to carry the load. He had a usage percentage of 27.2 with the Hornets this season, but that number is likely to decrease with the Heat.
The Heat’s deal for Rozier is one of the organization’s biggest trades in recent years, as Miami has struck out on some of its other targets lately. Rozier may not be an All-Star, but he’s a legitimate addition to a Heat squad that made the NBA Finals a season ago.
If Miami and New York meet again in the 2024 NBA Playoffs, folks will get another chance to see how the teams measure up against one another. That’s a possibility that’s certainly on the table.
