MIAMI — The Miami Heat officially released Terry Rozier on Friday, ending a troubled season for the player who faces federal charges connected to an illegal gambling scheme.
The procedural move was widely anticipated and frees up a roster spot for Miami to add another player ahead of the playoffs. Rozier’s lone appearance this season came during the team’s season opener against Orlando on October 22, though he never entered the game.
Federal agents took Rozier into custody at the team hotel the next morning. Authorities allege he provided insider information to help bettors win wagers on his statistical performance during a March 23, 2023 contest while he was still playing for Charlotte.
Miami has until Sunday to sign a replacement player before beginning play-in tournament action next week.
Following his arrest, the NBA immediately suspended Rozier indefinitely. Despite his legal troubles, he continued receiving his full $26.6 million salary throughout the season. Initially, Miami deposited the payments into an interest-earning account, but an arbitrator later determined Rozier should receive the funds directly.
The Heat acquired Rozier through a January 2024 trade with Charlotte, sending Kyle Lowry and a 2027 first-round draft pick in exchange. Miami was unaware of the ongoing federal investigation at the time. In an unusual move last month, Charlotte provided Miami with a second-round pick in this year’s draft, apparently to settle disputes over the undisclosed legal issues.
League rules required teams to release players with expiring contracts or team options by 5 p.m. Friday. Throughout the season, Miami continued including Rozier on injury reports with a “not with team” designation, and his nameplate remained above his locker despite his obvious absence.
The extent of communication between Rozier and the Heat organization since October remains unclear. He reportedly sent congratulatory text messages to team members following Bam Adebayo’s outstanding 83-point performance against Washington, but has had no known contact with the team otherwise.
The suspicious betting activity surrounding Rozier’s March 2023 performance against New Orleans was immediately flagged by sportsbooks that day. While the NBA conducted its own investigation at the time, league officials found no evidence to prevent him from continuing to play. The current federal probe is separate from that earlier inquiry.
In the game in question, Rozier started for Charlotte and performed well during his 9½ minutes on the court, recording five points, four rebounds, two assists and one steal. This statistical combination in a first quarter has occurred only twice in his professional career.
Rozier left that game citing foot discomfort and did not return. Charlotte has not publicly revealed whether team officials knew about any federal investigation into their player’s activities.
During his NBA career with Boston, Charlotte and Miami, Rozier has maintained a 13.9 points per game average. He suited up for 95 games during his time with the Heat.
