The Miami Heat are rare in the sense that they do not want to bottom out and rebuild from the ground up. They prefer to remain in the fringes of the playoff picture at the very least, and at present, they are remaining semi-competitive, hoping that the next star that becomes available deems the Heat to be the team they want to play for.
Their moves this offseason certainly suggest that they're going to gun for a playoff spot in the coming season. And it's difficult to fault them for the trade they pulled off to bring Norman Powell in. All the Heat had to trade to acquire a 20-plus per game scorer in Powell were Kyle Anderson, Kevin Love, and a second-round pick — making it a no-brainer.
Powell may not be the piece that takes this team from good to great, but he's an incredible piece to have for a team that did have its fair share of offensive struggles this past season. He was one of the most efficient scorers in the NBA last year, taking some of the heavy scoring burden away from Tyler Herro.
The Heat have shown in the past that remaining semi-competitive and waiting to strike at the right time could work. They only need their Jimmy Butler-caliber player to set things in motion for their contending dreams. But that may not happen until the 2027 offseason, when stars such as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Donovan Mitchell could, in theory, hit the open market.
Nonetheless, there is a move they must make that is staring the Heat franchise in the face.
Terry Rozier should have played his final minute for the Heat already
When the Heat traded for Rozier in 2024, the combo guard was in the middle of a career season for the Charlotte Hornets, averaging 23.2 points per game on 46/36/85 shooting splits. Miami needed a boost at the guard positions during that time, with Kyle Lowry being a shell of his former self already. Little did the Heat know that they would have been better off just keeping Lowry and the 2027 first-round pick that they gave up to bring Rozier in.
Now, this is not to say that the current version of Rozier is a worse player than Lowry is. But it's debatable as to whether or not that roster spot would be better off being designated for someone else rather than Rozier and his declining play while making $26.6 million in the final year of his contract. $24.9 million of that is guaranteed — removing the option of waiving him from the equation.
Of course, Rozier can still bounce back. He's just 31 years of age, after all. Players who were as productive as Rozier was just two seasons ago always have that potential to return to form still, especially when they aren't in their late 30s and haven't exactly been plagued by injury problems.
However, what further complicates matters is the fact that Rozier's off-court troubles may be worse than his on-court decline. Rozier is currently being investigated for his involvement in a gambling scandal that occurred in 2023, and although he has not been officially charged with any wrongdoing, it's always worrisome for any NBA player to find himself involved in such a thing.
Rozier's NBA career is simply on a sharp downhill trajectory; his 10.6 points per game production on 39/30/85 shooting splits is not doing him any favors as well.
Simply put, the Heat should do everything in their power to trade Rozier away to make the most of his $26.6 million expiring contract and keep adding players who could aid in Miami's goal of hanging tough in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
Perhaps the Heat could dangle Rozier in a trade for Boston Celtics guard Anfernee Simons; Simons' contract is also expiring, but the Heat could be a team that ends up deciding to pay Simons big money on his next contract.
Maybe the Heat could acquire Dillon Brooks from the Phoenix Suns; Brooks is a hard-nosed defender who fits Heat Culture to a T, and Miami expressed interest in the enforcer in the past.
What if the Heat acquire someone like Collin Sexton and send Rozier back to his home, the Hornets? Sexton is someone who hustles and puts in the effort, and he could combine with Davion Mitchell to form an annoying backcourt to deal with.
Simply put, there are many options the Heat have to explore when it comes to dealing with Rozier. But one thing's for sure: they have to start next season without him on the roster.
