Benching Terry Rozier is the only way the Heat can turn things around

Prior to last year’s 2024 NBA trade deadline, the Miami Heat made their first acquisition in quite some time with the addition of Terry Rozier. He was traded by the Charlotte Hornets in return for Kyle Lowry and a first-round draft pick. 

Everyone knew that the aging and rapidly declining Lowry’s time with the Heat was up. The veteran point guard warranted a near $30 million price tag, and barely played up to even half of that money’s worth. A trade had to be done. 

Unfortunately, the player they got in return wasn’t much of an upgrade, if at all. 

Pat Riley was expecting to spice up his ‘run it back’ roster by adding some much needed offensive reinforcements. The Rozier pickup also happened after shockingly striking out on Damian Lillard just months prior.

But everyone involved expected a polarizing scorer and playmaker at the beginning of his prime. Rozier was averaging a career-high 23.2 points, 6.6 assists and nearly 4.0 rebounds on 46% shooting and 36% from 3-point range in his final stint with the Hornets. The problem is that Miami received a shell of that version of him. 

Those stats have dipped all the way down to 11.8 points (his lowest since 2018) and 2.8 assists on 39.9% from the field and 29.4% from deep, which is the lowest since his rookie year. 

Terry Rozier has looked unplayable as of late, yet still gets one of the highest minutes on the roster.

Despite the Heat being short handed in their recent loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, they were in position to pull off an upset. Then Rozier’s team-high 40 minutes happened. 

It was a lackluster performance, to say the least, from the struggling guard. These types of outings have been a pattern all season long, and even during some of his games in the prior 2023-24 campaign. 

Even so, Rozier still showed some signs of clutch shot making abilities and offensive explosions in some few games’ stretches a year ago.

It’s not just concerning for the Heat that he has played so poorly, but it’s even more concerning for himself. There has been plenty of speculation on the internet regarding the notion that Rozier has been purposely ‘selling’ games for Miami. 

It just isn’t a good look for everyone involved, and this partnership has not panned out. If Riley could go back and back off from pulling the trigger on this acquisition, he most likely would. Lowry was on an expiring salary, and this era of NBA covets cap space more than it ever has before.

But for now, the Heat need to eat up his near $25 million salary and even his $26 million due for next season. There is a plummeting trade value now. The only answer falls on coach Erik Spoelstra— benching him entirely. 

There is no logical reasoning behind Rozier earning more minutes than the likes of Davion Mitchell, let alone even getting any court time whatsoever. He has made the Heat worse, and the team is dealt with dealing with the consequences of his playing time.

A significant rotation change needs to be made, and Rozier is at the wrong end of that. The only thing scary with "Scary Terry" has been just how unplayable he has quickly become.