The Miami Heat were one of the major players at the 2025 NBA trade deadline by finally ending the Jimmy Butler drama with a trade to the Golden State Warriors. In exchange, the Heat received a decent Butler replacement in Andrew Wiggins while also getting a protected first-round draft pick. While Miami got what both parties wanted by trading Butler, it wasn't exactly a perfect trade deadline. A better deadline would've featured a trade of Terry Rozier.
Rozier has been disappointing since arriving in Miami, and especially this season, . The trade deadline would've been a perfect opportunity for the team to move him, but nothing happened on that front. As a result, Rozier is still in Miami and under contract until the end of the 2025-26 season, which isn't ideal for a team that's performing better without him on the court. He's set to make $26.6 million in 2025-26, a number that likely made it hard for him to be dealt at the deadline.
Terry Rozier's forgettable season
Last season, the Heat's biggest trade deadline move was making the swing for Terry Rozier. To acquire him, the Heat sent out six-time NBA All-Star Kyle Lowry and a first-round draft pick. Rozier was expected to be an additional scorer to further fortify the team's offense. In 31 games last season, he put up 16.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per outing. Unfortunately, Miami failed to get past the first round against the eventual champion Boston Celtics. To make matters worse, Rozier hasn't come close to his previous form in 2024-25.
The 6-foot-1 guard is experiencing a major dip in his production this season, only putting up 12.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game on just 40.7% shooting from the field overall and a measly 30.6% clip from downtown. Rozier's poor performance isn't only drawing flak from Heat fans, but it's probably also making the front office regret what they had to give up for him. While the team was able to unload an aging Lowry, giving up the first-round pick hurts.
With the 2025 NBA trade deadline having come and gone, the Heat have to ride it out with Rozier for at least the rest of this season. His struggles aren't doing the team any favors, especially with Butler's departure.
The Miami Heat are better without Terry Rozier
Terry Rozier's struggles have been rough, to the point that Miami is better off with him sitting on the bench. Thus far, the Heat have gone 4-2 when Rozier sits out. On the other hand, the team has posted a 21-26 win-loss card whenever he plays.
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In the most recent game he played, Miami suffered a 103-85 beatdown at the hands of Boston. In the game, Rozier only registered nine points while converting only 4-of-12 from the field. To make matters worse, the Celtics outscored the Heat by 23 points when he was on the court. For the past four games when Rozier saw action, opposing teams outscored the Heat by a total of 53 points. And for the season, the team has a -5.0 net rating with the guard on the court, per NBA.com, compared to 2.3 when he sits.
Prior to trading for Rozier, it made sense for Miami to give up some reasonable assets. He was performing well for the Charlotte Hornets, making him an enticing addition for a playoff push. However, due to his injuries and struggles, Rozier's acquisition is looking more like a liability.
Ongoing federal investigation against Terry Rozier
Not only is Terry Rozier struggling on the court, but he has found himself caught up in the ongoing federal gambling investigation. In January, it was announced that federal prosecutors were investigating a Rozier performance due to unusual betting patterns in a game that happened in 2023, as part of the same probe that led to Jontay Porter's lifetime ban from the NBA.
The game saw the New Orleans Pelicans battle it out against Rozier's Charlotte Hornets. The NBA already announced that they found nothing wrong on Rozier's part after reviewing the game, but the federal prosecutors are still in the midst of their own investigation.
While it seems like the federal investigation will come up with the same conclusion, the Heat don't exactly need more off-court drama on their hands. Miami is still within grasp of an NBA Play-In Tournament spot and remain committed to a playoff push despite the Butler trade. Another off-court distraction wouldn't help that.
