There has been a lot of talk about the Miami Heat escaping guard Terry Rozier’s contract through virtually any avenue imaginable this offseason, whether it be a trade, buyout or even his gambling investigation leading to a way out. However, with the start of September a few days away, Rozier remains a member of the organization.
Maybe it’s high time that the Heat and their fans consider the possibility that Rozier will still be with the team for the beginning of the coming 2025-26 season. If that’s the case, there’s one scenario that shouldn’t be completely dismissed as a possibility.
What if he plays well?
Let’s look at a scenario where Rozier stays with the Heat and actually puts together a strong season after he didn’t give fans a lot to write home about with his play from last season. This scenario would either help the Heat be more relevant in a weakened Eastern Conference or make him a more legitimate trade piece worth moving prior to the deadline.
A return to form for Scary Terry?
Rozier’s scoring and playmaking production for the Heat in the 2024-25 campaign left a lot to be desired. From a scoring standpoint, at 10.6 points per game, he averaged his lowest mark since he was in just his fourth NBA season. Not only that, but he shot under 40 percent from the field and 30 percent from 3-point range.
Meanwhile, he dished out a mere 2.6 assists per game and looked like a shell of the passer he was playing for the Charlotte Hornets.
But in this scenario, Rozier regains his offensive swagger from back when he was playing with the Hornets. It’s easy to forget now, but he averaged 20.0 points and 4.7 assists per contest across 298 total regular-season contests in a Hornets uniform.
In an optimistic yet realistic case, Rozier plays a significant bench role for Miami and averages 14-plus points and four-plus assists per contest in the coming season. His scoring efficiency majorly improves from a season ago as well, as he shoots better than 45 percent from the field and 36 percent from deep.
All in all, Rozier stakes his claim as a solid backup point guard and increases his trade stock a whole lot in the process.
A decision for the Heat to make at the deadline?
With Rozier looking like a new and improved player in the 2025-26 campaign, the Heat end up with a choice to make at the deadline: Do they keep Rozier as they look to make a postseason push, or do they move him now that he’s returned to form?
In this scenario, we’ll say Miami capitalizes on his soaring value by moving him to the Milwaukee Bucks in a trade not long before the deadline.
Now that Damian Lillard is no longer with the Bucks, we’ll say they take a flier on Rozier with the hope that he can help to stabilize their point guard position this season and possibly beyond. In exchange for Rozier, the Heat acquire salary filler and a guard who fits their timeline a bit better in Kevin Porter Jr. after he struggles to start the season with Milwaukee.
Porter is still a spring chicken at 25 years old compared to the 31-year-old Rozier, and he may have the talent to be a long-term fixture for Miami at guard if he can stay out of legal trouble. Porter is a gifted left-handed scorer who’s averaged as many as 19.2 points per contest at the highest level already.
Right now, it might seem quite far-fetched that Rozier puts together a bounce-back campaign to the extent that he salvages his value on the open market. However, a really strong season for him could be in the cards, and with any luck, he will get back to playing at a high level in the coming 2025-26 campaign.