Why is Terry Rozier still on the Heat’s roster? PIC 1
CHARGED: Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier arrives for an arraignment hearing at U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of New York on Dec. 8, 2025, in New York. Rozier is accused of participating in a betting scheme that used insider NBA information. He was one of 34 people, including Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, former Kentucky football player Niro Laster and former NBA player Damon Jones, charged in separate cases involving alleged fraud against poker players in games linked to New York mafia families, as well as fraudulent betting on NBA games. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images/Tribune News Service
While guard Terry Rozier remains on the Miami Heat’s roster, his release is expected in the coming weeks.
Rozier is not expected to be on the Heat’s postseason roster, according to a league source.
With Rozier away from the team and not expected back this season in the wake of his Oct. 23 arrest stemming from a federal investigation into illegal gambling, the Heat are expected to waive him before the end of the regular season to open a roster spot and add depth for the postseason.
With Rozier still on the roster, the Heat enter Thursday night’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Kaseya Center at the NBA maximum of 15 players on standard contracts and three players on two-way contracts. The Heat have enough room to waive Rozier and sign a replacement player for the rest of the season without crossing the luxury tax threshold.
One reason the Heat haven’t yet released Rozier - even though he can no longer be used in a trade since the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline has passed - is that they don’t feel an immediate need to add a replacement because of their current depth. Even with injuries earlier this season, players who were once in the rotation, such as Nikola Jovic, Simone Fontecchio, Dru Smith and Myron Gardner, have recently seen their playing time reduced as the roster moves closer to full health.
Heat forward Keshad Johnson, in his second NBA season, also hasn’t played consistent minutes.
In addition, the Heat have three two-way contract players - Vlad Goldin, Trevor Keels and Jahmir Young - who have barely played this season.
Keeping Rozier in the 15th roster spot also allows the Heat’s two-way contract players to be active for up to 150 total NBA games this regular season, a 50-game limit per player. Teams with fewer than 15 players on standard contracts are only allowed to have two-way players active for 90 total games during the regular season.
Delaying Rozier’s release to sign a replacement also preserves the Heat’s flexibility to address an immediate need if there’s an injury to a key player in the final weeks of the regular season.
The Heat could release Rozier now and sign a replacement to a 10-day contract while maintaining flexibility once the deal expires. But the internal belief is that such a move isn’t necessary, since the Heat already have more players competing for minutes than they can fit into the rotation.
Rozier’s release is still expected before the end of the regular season. Since he is on an expiring contract, the Heat must release him by Thursday, April 9 at 5 p.m. to waive him before the regular season ends.
If no outside option appeals to the Heat to fill the open roster spot, they could promote one of their current two-way contract players to a standard contract. That move would make the player eligible for the postseason, since two-way players are not eligible to play in the play-in tournament or playoffs.
Depending on the outcome of ongoing disputes and grievances, it could be easier for the Heat to recoup money paid to Rozier this season if he remains on the roster. But the expectation is that this won’t stop Miami from waiving him before the end of the regular season to use the roster spot for postseason depth.
Rozier, who has a $26.6 million salary this season, is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. He was with the Heat only for the season opener before being arrested on the morning of Oct. 23 at the team’s Orlando hotel following its Oct. 22 season-opening road loss to the Magic.
The NBA placed Rozier on paid leave shortly after his arrest, with the Heat continuing to list him as “not with team” on injury reports this season. While the NBA initially required the Heat to place his salary in an interest-bearing account, his $26.6 million salary was released to him in early February following an arbitrator’s ruling.
It was revealed earlier this month that the Charlotte Hornets are sending a 2026 second-round pick to the Heat to resolve a dispute over Rozier being under NBA and federal investigation for alleged gambling when Charlotte traded him to Miami in January 2024.
At the center of the dispute between Miami and Charlotte is that the Heat were not made aware of unusual betting activity involving Rozier before acquiring him.
The NBA was alerted to the unusual betting activity 10 months before the Heat traded Kyle Lowry and a first-round pick to the Hornets for Rozier in January 2024, but the league did not inform the Heat, or other teams, of that red flag in the months that followed. The NBA later cleared Rozier in its own investigation before a federal investigation resulted in his arrest.
The Hornets also did not inform the Heat, sources said. The Hornets declined to comment when asked in October whether they knew of the NBA’s investigation at the time of the trade, whether they had knowledge of sportsbooks flagging bets involving Rozier and why they did not inform the Heat if they were aware.
The Heat were unaware that Rozier was the subject of separate NBA and FBI investigations until The Wall Street Journal reported the story in January 2025.
Rozier, 32, appeared in a federal courthouse in Brooklyn, New York, in December for his arraignment. He pleaded not guilty and was released on a $3 million bond secured by his home in South Florida.
Rozier has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He is accused of providing inside information to co-conspirators about his intent to leave a March 2023 game early due to a foot injury while he was with the Hornets, enabling them to place large bets on him not reaching statistical thresholds.
Rozier’s attorney, Jim Trusty, has denied the allegations.
Duke survives Siena's March Madness upset bid PIC 1
Duke’s Nikolas Khamenia congratulates teammate Cayden Boozer during the second half against Siena in the first round of the 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026, in Greenville, South Carolina.
Siena coach Gerry McNamara said he never mentioned UMBC or Fairleigh Dickinson to his team, never told them how, as No. 16 seeds in the NCAA Tournament, they stunned everyone by upsetting a No. 1.
“I just said it had happened before,” McNamara said.
No one expected it to happen again Friday, not against Duke, the No. 1 overall seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament and the top-ranked team in the country.
Siena looked the part of a giant killer for much of the game, making shots and playing with confidence, but Duke was too tough in the end, pulling out a 71-65 victory in the opening round of the East Region at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
The Blue Devils (33-2) will face No. 9 seed TCU in the second round Saturday. TCU held off No. 8 Ohio State for a 66-64 victory.
Cameron Boozer had 22 points, Cayden Boozer added 19 and Isaiah Evans scored 16 for the Blue Devils, who maintained their poise and showed resiliency in the win. Gavin Doty had 21 points, including 16 in the first half, and Francis Folefac added 18 for the Saints, the MAAC champions.
After falling behind 43-32 at halftime, stunning nearly everyone in the building, the Blue Devils played with greater urgency and purpose in the second half. The ACC champions tightened their defense, switched to a zone to throw Siena off balance and extended full-court pressure.
The Blue Devils were able to run, getting transition dunks from Evans and Dame Sarr, cutting into Siena’s lead. The Saints, who had controlled much of the first half, suddenly appeared unsure, taking rushed shots and making mistakes.
Duke made it a one-point game on an Evans 3-pointer midway through the half, but Folefac answered with a basket inside, then hit a 3 from the wing - his second of the game and fifth of the season.
Back and forth it went. Cayden Boozer hit a 3, and Doty responded with one of his own.
Cameron Boozer’s free throw with 5:08 left tied the game at 61. An Evans drive gave Duke the lead with 4:25 remaining - the Blue Devils’ first lead since five minutes into the game - capping a 7-0 run as the Saints went scoreless for four minutes.
The game started smoothly for Duke. Maliq Brown won the opening jump ball, then rose for a dunk. After a Siena miss, Cayden Boozer hit a shot and the Blue Devils appeared ready to take control.
But after scoring 10 points on their first four possessions, Duke went cold, missing several hurried shots. Siena controlled the defensive boards, allowing no putbacks, then executed its offense effectively.
The Saints’ shots began to fall. Doty and Coyle each hit a pair of 3-pointers - with Coyle once running back while waving three fingers on both hands to the crowd - while Folefac, listed at 6-foot-7 and 245 pounds, went to work inside.
Duke once doubled Folefac in the post to force a miss, only for Siena’s Riley Mulvey to come from the weak side for a follow dunk. Mulvey stuck out his tongue as he ran back on defense, clearly enjoying the moment.
Siena took its first lead at 12-10 and never trailed again in the first half, building a 43-32 advantage. Doty had 16 points, and Folefac, who averages 11 points per game, had 13 in the half, matching Cameron Boozer’s 13.
The Blue Devils appeared out of sync. They called a timeout in the first half to regroup, then followed with a bad pass and a backcourt violation. That sequence summed up Duke’s first-half struggles.
Another dynamic was the crowd. With each Siena basket, the Saints gained more support, as fans from TCU and Ohio State appeared to rally behind the underdogs, urging them on in their attempt to make NCAA history.
UMBC shocked Virginia in 2018, becoming the first No. 16 seed to win, and Fairleigh Dickinson did the same to Purdue in 2023. It is no longer an impossible dream.
The momentum shifted early in the second half. Evans had a pair of transition dunks for Duke after Mulvey and then Folefac missed on attempted highlight dunks.
With Duke in a zone, Siena’s shots began to fall short. Nikolas Khamenia hit a 3 for Duke, Cayden Boozer scored on a drive and a Sarr dunk cut the lead to two.
The World Baseball Classic is special PIC 1
CELEBRATION: Venezuela pitcher Daniel Palencia celebrates after defeating the United States 3-2 in the World Baseball Classic final at loanDepot Park on March 17, 2026, in Miami. Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service
Three days at loanDepot Park showed baseball at its best. The World Baseball Classic semifinals and championship were an explosion of international pride, fundamentals and excellent baseball, wrapped in culture, celebration and pure joy.
It also showed something else: America doesn’t quite realize how special the tournament is, and it’s costing Team USA dominance over the sport the country invented.
There’s a path back to excellence, but first, the U.S. has to understand what it’s missing.
The 2026 edition was a stellar showcase of the game, one that much of the country enjoyed. Sunday’s semifinal against the Dominican Republic averaged 7.37 million viewers, a tournament record. Fans were treated to compelling baseball.
But there was a major difference between how American players and fans viewed the tournament and how everyone else did. Simply put: Team USA viewed the WBC as a chance to showcase American dominance. Everyone else saw it as a sporting spectacle and a chance to showcase national pride.
It was clear in the Dominican Republic’s play, celebrating every moment with bat flips, jackets and team-wide selfies at home plate after home runs. It was clear for champion Venezuela, when the team celebrated every run like it was a walk-off, posed for pregame group pictures from photographer Ronald Acuña Jr., then had the entire squad crash manager Omar López’s victorious news conference. It was even clear for Italy, when a group of American-born players bonded over espresso shots, tank tops and shared heritage.
“It’s been awesome,” former Pittsburgh Pirate and Team Italy right-hander Kyle Nicolas said. “It’s been so much fun getting together with this group of guys. It feels like we instantly clicked, instantly became a close team, and it’s been awesome.”
The U.S.? Not quite the same. Tears were shed and the competition was valiant, but this wasn’t as important to Team USA as it was to everyone else. It showed on the field, in the stands and online. When the U.S. beat the Dominican Republic on Sunday night, a country didn’t rejoice. When Venezuela beat Italy, pro-Venezuela fans danced outside the stadium in the pouring rain late into the night.
This culture is what makes the World Baseball Classic special. The tournament was a roaring success, even if the U.S. didn’t win the gold medal it had hoped for. And some players understood that.
“It’s awesome to see the cultures come together, and this is what this is all about,” Team USA’s Bryce Harper said. “Each fan, each fanbase, each player from each country, from Brazil to Tokyo to here, what are you gonna do? It’s such a great game. It’s a lot of fun.”
Yet it also showed a shift in the sport. Baseball may be America’s pastime, but the U.S. isn’t the dominant team on the international stage right now. The U.S. has reached the championship game in the past three Classics, but four different teams have won the six editions of the event. The U.S. has won just once.
Other countries take this more seriously than the U.S. does, not in effort but in perception. That’s a problem, one that won’t be fixed until Team USA realizes how special this tournament is.
Steps were taken this year. Paul Skenes risked injury, somewhat, as he threw the same number of pitches at similar velocities as he would have with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and served as the American team’s ace. His participation was a major reason pitchers such as Logan Webb, Tarik Skubal and Nolan McLean joined. Skenes was one of the players who understood the magnitude of the tournament, showing unusual emotion when the final out was recorded in the team’s semifinal win.
“It’s been awesome,” Skenes said Sunday. “I didn’t really have any expectations coming into the tournament. I didn’t really know what to expect. It hasn’t disappointed.”
Yet other Pirates players who participated for non-American teams appeared to have a deeper appreciation for the tournament. Team Israel’s Spencer Horwitz called it “different,” an experience that goes “back to the roots of baseball.” Team Mexico’s Nick Gonzales said the passion “blew (his) expectations out of the water.” Dominicans Oneil Cruz, Gregory Soto and Dennis Santana described it as life-changing.
“There were 36,000 people (in Miami) and like 31,000 were Dominican. That was special for us,” Santana said. “They don’t have the chance to see us every year. ... It was something I’m going to have in my heart for the rest of my life.”
And here’s Team USA’s Alex Bregman:
“It’s awesome to be able to go out there and compete for your country, represent your country,” Bregman said, “and I know our team takes great pride in that.”
The contrast continues on social media. Videos of Venezuelan celebrations posted on X were reshared by fans in Venezuela as highlights of their country.
Yet some U.S.-based comments included: “It’s a good exhibition to draw foreign fans,” “This tournament doesn’t matter,” “glorified spring training,” and a personal favorite: “Telling you as a friend.. Posts like this just make people hate (the WBC) more. Stop shoving it down people's throats. And they might hate it less.”
What’s to hate? It’s baseball. It’s fun, especially at a time of comparatively meaningless Grapefruit and Cactus League action. There was compelling competition. The tournament unfolded without injuries or major controversy. It grew the game. It reflected baseball at its best.
“This tournament doesn’t matter”? Try telling that to Venezuelan fans dancing in the rain, or the players who fell to their knees in celebration after the final out. Try telling that to fans who celebrated in the stands in Miami. Try telling that to Cruz, who said the tournament was about highlighting his country’s culture.
The World Baseball Classic is special, something America is gradually realizing. Players are beginning to understand it, too. Skenes appeared to take the loss harder than most, staring down as he walked past reporters after Tuesday’s defeat.
“If you saw how hurting the guys are in that locker room, you'd (understand),” manager Mark DeRosa said. “For some reason, this WBC has become a tidal wave of emotion for a lot of guys. You get them in the room representing their country, coming together for two-and-a-half weeks, the buy-in. It’s infectious in there.”
But that understanding needs to be more widespread. Every country has its own culture, so Team USA shouldn’t try to replicate Dominican or Venezuelan dances, Japanese chants or Italian coffee rituals. But the team often felt like a group of All-Stars, not a unified national squad.
Team USA has the talent to return to the international mountaintop. But until it catches up with the rest of the world - recognizing, like the Dominicans, Venezuelans and Puerto Ricans, how special the tournament is - it will continue missing an opportunity.
The World Baseball Classic is special. America can return to dominance once it fully realizes what the rest of the world understood long ago.