The Kyle Lowry for Terry Rozier trade last year went from seemingly a steal for the Miami Heat to an absolute waste of a first-round pick for second-round pick production.
Last season, while on the Charlotte Hornets, Rozier played the best basketball of his career. He averaged 23.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 6.6 assists on 45.9 percent shooting and 35.8 percent from three-point range. Rozier had career highs in points, assists, and two-point percentage.
Once traded to the Heat, his numbers decreased in several categories, which was expected considering he went from a top-two option with the Hornets to sharing the court with three 20-point scorers in Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo.
It’s a year later, and Rozier has only gotten significantly worse. On The Bill Simmons Podcast, Simmons hosted a draft of the worst contracts in the NBA with Ethan Strauss and Wosny Lambre. They explained Rozier’s remaining two years for a $51.5 million contract as one of their highest picks in this draft. Strauss explained why he understood the appeal for trading for Rozier’s production in Charlotte, even though it has been to the Heat’s detriment this season.
“On the face of it, $25 million bucks for a shooting guard who is capable of being a prolific scorer is okay,” Strauss said. “The problem is, we have a sizzle reel from this season that shows him actively undermining the ability of the Miami Heat to win basketball games.”
Simmons went into greater detail and questioned if he can still play the sport effectively based on watching him play this season.
“It looks like he completely lost his ability to play basketball,” Simmons explained. “I looked up when they made the trade last year because I remember thinking, getting for what they gave up, I would much rather do that than give all the (expletive) you had to for Damian Lillard, which included Tyler Herro. When they traded for him last year, he played 30 Charlotte games: 23.2 points, 36 percent from three, and he was playing awesome. This year, his stats are almost half: 11.8 points a game, shooting 40 percent, and shooting 29 percent from three. Eye test wise, he might be the worst rotation guy in the league.”
MEDIA PERSONALITY CLAIMS MIAMI HEAT ARE “RELIEVED” JIMMY BUTLER IS GONE
How impactful and successful Jimmy Butler’s time with the Miami Heat cannot be understated.
However, the Heat knew despite the success, Butler was challenging and unpredictable to deal with daily. His high maintenance seemed to be a price they were willing to pay until it was clear they wouldn’t win a championship with him.
The Heat traded Butler to the Golden State Warriors on Feb. 6 for Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, and a protected first-round draft pick.
Media personality Dan Le Batard on his show shared some insight on how the Heat have felt during and after his time in Miami ended.
“The relief in that building that Jimmy Butler is gone, not just because of what’s happened over the last couple months, but because of how things were bent to him,” Le Batard explained. “If you talk to enough Heat people, you will know they felt like they were dealing with something. And they were not saying this publicly in any way, an unstable ingredient that they used as a furnace and fuel to get a championship. Then when it became about money problems, nobody wanted to be at work.”
The Warriors have thrived since the trade, as Stephen Curry seemingly got the help he needed. They’re 10-2 with Butler on their team. The Heat have trended in the opposite direction, as their roster is shaping up for the future, and they’ve been 4-8 since the trade.
HEAT VS. CAVALIERS TAKEAWAYS: SHORTHANDED MIAMI HEAT DROP CLOSE GAME IN CLEVELAND
The Miami Heat (29-32) came up short in a close game against the Cleveland Cavaliers (52-10) 112-107.
Here’s a look at four major takeaways from the matchup:
1. Bam Adebayo had his best game of the season.
The Heat were missing three other starters, including leading scorer, Tyler Herro, so Adebayo had to step up for the Heat to have a chance. He finished with 34 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists on 61.1 percent shooting and 60 percent from three-point range. Late in the game, during the fourth quarter, Adebayo could match the Cavaliers' high-powered offense by himself with his best perimeter shooting game of the season.
2. Terry Rozier had an awful second half.
With the Heat missing six rotational players, Rozier’s role as an offensive spark in heavy minutes could not have been clearer. Unfortunately, he still struggled as he finished with 12 points, one rebound, and two assists on 21.4 percent shooting and 12.5 percent from three-point range. He went 0-8 from the field in the second half alone and had three turnovers.
3. Duncan Robinson has found his rhythm off the bench.
Robinson finished with 14 points, three rebounds, and two assists on 50 percent shooting and 50 percent from three-point range. His four triples led the way for the Heat as they struggled outside Adebayo’s career night from the perimeter. They looked to close the game with him without Herro, and he nearly hit an extremely clutch three but waived it off because he stepped on the line. They had no more timeouts left to challenge the ruling, and the game ended afterward.
4. Haywood Highsmith continues to provide valuable minutes.
Highsmith finished with 13 points, three rebounds, and two assists on 55.6 percent shooting and 33.3 percent from three-point range. He was key in stopping the Cavalier’s offense for several possessions in the fourth. He also displayed great chemistry with Kyle Anderson on multiple plays cutting to the basket. With the Heat’s injuries to their other forwards, Highsmith will continue to see plenty of playing time.
Bryan Townes is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at [email protected] or on X @bryantownesjr11. Follow our coverage on Facebook
