The Miami Heat have waived guard Terry Rozier, who faces federal charges related to a gambling operation. The move, announced on Friday, was expected and procedural, allowing the team to sign another player before the postseason.
Rozier played only one game for the Heat this season—the opener against Orlando on October 22, in which he did not play. The following morning, he was arrested at the team hotel on charges that he provided information to help people win bets on his statistical totals in a 2023 game while with the Charlotte Hornets.
The NBA placed Rozier on leave shortly after his arrest. He has collected his $26.6 million salary this season after an arbitrator ruled he should receive the money despite his legal issues. The Heat originally paid the salary into an interest-bearing account.
Miami acquired Rozier in January 2024, trading Kyle Lowry and a 2027 first-round pick to Charlotte. Last month, the Hornets gave Miami a second-round pick in this year's draft, an unusual move likely to resolve a dispute over undisclosed information at the time of the trade.
The Heat have until Sunday to sign another player. They will begin the play-in tournament on Tuesday or Wednesday. Rozier, in the final year of a four-year, $96.2 million contract, has had minimal contact with the team since his arrest.
