With rumors surrounding the Miami Heat about trades that the team can pursue, like with stars such as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Ja Morant, one vital component in assembling a package could be Terry Rozier's contract. As the Heat's grievance with Rozier could shake up any trade talks, his situation remains a fascinating one where his trade status is up in the air.
The timeline of Rozier and Miami is a vast one, as with his career trending downwards, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reported a potential buyout before, though the argument was there that he could be tradeable when the season was underway. However, Rozier would be arrested by the federal government after the season opener, bringing an endless amount of frustration for Miami.
While Rozier is away from the team on indefinite leave after the arrest, the team could want to still use his expiring contract in potential trades, but Fischer would say, “it's just not going to be that simple.” The NBA has yet to rule if Rozier will be “eligible” to be traded, with even Fischer saying that a trade would need to be agreed upon before the league will approve it or not.
“There remains a chance that the league office will ultimately void Rozier's contract depending on the outcome of his judicial process,” Fischer wrote. “I've also been told that Miami would need to first agree to a trade in principle that includes Rozier's outgoing salary just to generate an official ruling from the NBA about whether the trade is legal or not.”
The situation with the Heat and Terry Rozier has “no precedent”
With the basketball world wondering what trade offers the Heat could get for Antetokounmpo, Rozier's expiring contract could be used for salary cap relief in facilitating deals. However, Fischer calls the NBA's thinking of the matter as having “no precedent.
“There is really no precedent for this situation or guidance within the NBA's Collective Bargaining Agreement for how to handle it,” Fischer wrote. “Any resolution would almost surely require cooperation with the NBA Players' Association, but the league itself has indicated that it does not want to consider hypotheticals in this case. It is expected to render a ruling if/when a trade involving Rozier actually materializes.”
At any rate, it remains to be seen how and when Miami's situation with Rozier will be resolved.
