Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
It’s no secret that the Miami Heat have been trying to dump Terry Rozier for anything of value this offseason. The unfortunate reality is that they can’t because of a months-long federal betting investigation that’s tanked his value.
They aren’t going to waive-and-stretch the 31-year-old guard, but could they negotiate a buyout? According to NBA insider Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, to nobody’s surprise, there’s obvious interest.
“Sources say Miami still hopes to part with veteran guard Terry Rozier even though there is said to be scant trade interest in the 31-year-old,” Fischer reported Thursday. “Rozier is scheduled to make $26.6 million this season and the Heat are said to have some interest in buying him out. To be clear, though, no buyout appears imminent.”
Last season, Rozier averaged just 10.6 points and 2.6 assists on 39.1 percent shooting and 29.5 percent from deep. It was a disastrous season, eventually losing his spot in the rotation after countless opportunities.
Friday is the deadline to waive-and-stretch any player; waiving-and-stretching Rozier would put him on the books for $8.3 million each of the next three seasons.
To be bought out, Rozier and the organization would have to negotiate how much money he’s forfeiting. The percentage is usually pretty small — but it would be a way to create some more flexibility without pushing money down the line.
The Heat would have 13 players on their roster if they buy out Rozier. They can only dip below the 14-player minimum for two weeks at a time (and 28 days for the entire year). They have two players on two-way contracts and can sign another at any point during the season.
Roughly one month away from the start of training camp, Miami has a ton of guards with very little frontcourt depth. Of course, a buyout is a two-way street; I’ve been a proponent of letting his contract expire, but if they can agree to a buyout, great!
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