After hitting night one of the 2025 NBA Draft out of the park, it’s clear what the Miami Heat need to do in night two to bookend a successful start to the offseason. That is trading Terry Rozier, which would allow the Heat to effectively free themselves from one of the worst moves in recent franchise history.
When the Heat originally acquired Rozier, just ahead of the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline, there were many skeptics. Even though the Heat was making a huge gamble, though, the overwhelming opinion was that Rozier, in theory, would still manage to help the Heat.However, despite a few bright moments here and there, the decision to acquire Rozier has been quite nightmarish. Add in the fact that Miami had to include a future first-round pick to get the deal done, and it’s easy to see why this trade could be considered one of the worst decisions in team history.
Rozier averaged 11 points, four rebounds, and three assists per game this past season on sub-40 percent shooting from the field overall and 29 percent shooting from 3-point range.
Heading into night two of the NBA Draft, the Heat’s priority should be looking to right this wrong. No, the Heat should not tie more draft capital to get out from under Rozier’s deal, but utilize his expiring contract as an asset for the future.How the Heat can trade Terry Rozier
To be perfectly honest, it won’t be an easy task to trade Rozier. However, he is on an expiring contract that could prove to be valuable for any team looking to either cut salary ahead of next year, or he could also work as a salary filler for a bigger deal. Miami, if they wanted, could also pair Rozier’s contract with one of their young players in hopes of getting a veteran talent that could help the team win now.
Considering the Heat has recently been linked to Jonathan Kuminga, that’s another option that could work for the team. If the Warriors are looking for added flexibility heading into next season, they could theoretically look to acquire Rozier’s contract in hopes of flipping it again before the 2026 NBA Trade Deadline.It may not be a great plan, but it’s certainly an option that they could explore or consider, especially if the Heat, for example, would be willing to include a player like Jaime Jaquez Jr. or Pelle Larsson in a potential sign-and-trade for Kuminga.
The Heat’s front office has an opportunity to get creative heading into the second night of the NBA Draft. Now that they have a direction after the selection of Kasparas Jakucionis, it’s time to move past one of the biggest mistakes. It’s not personal, but with a new point guard in town, the Heat doesn’t have much use for a player like Rozier any longer
