Guard Terry Rozier recently made it known how big of a Dwyane Wade fan he is when he discussed how excited he is to join the Miami Heat.
Terry Rozier: It's been no secret how much love I have for Miami Heat and Dwyane Wade growing up. This is definitely a full circle moment. I'm happy to be back on that stage in a playoff race. It's huge. #HEATCulture pic.twitter.com/V0ZOMBkiLJ
— Brendan Tobin (@Brendan_Tobin) January 24, 2024
Rozier was acquired by the Heat earlier this week in exchange for guard Kyle Lowry as well as a first-round pick in 2027.
Before he was dealt to Miami, Rozier was enjoying arguably the best season of his NBA career in his fifth season with the Charlotte Hornets franchise. Across 30 appearances with the Hornets in the 2023-24 regular season, he averaged a career-high 23.2 points to go along with 6.6 assists per game while shooting 45.9 percent from the field and 35.8 percent from deep.
Rozier’s final game with the Hornets before the trade came against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Jan. 22. He had a forgettable game from an offensive standpoint, as he scored just 11 points while shooting 5-of-12 from the floor and 0-of-6 from 3-point range, but the Hornets still managed to pick up a three-point victory on the road against a great opponent.
The Heat — Rozier’s current team — have had a few days off, as they haven’t taken the court since Jan. 21, when they took on the Orlando Magic. Miami lost to the Magic by 18 points in what was one of the team’s worst scoring performances of the season so far. The Heat scored just 87 points as a team and shot 37.5 percent from the field and 32.4 percent from deep.
The Indiana Pacers are less than one game back of the Heat for the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference at 24-20. Both the Pacers and Heat are riding three-game losing streaks.
Rozier will make his debut with the Heat in their upcoming game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, which will be a home game for the team.
The day after the Heat face off against Memphis, they will play Rozier’s former team in the Boston Celtics. He spent the first four seasons of his NBA career with the Celtics and helped lead the team to an appearance in the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals.
