The Terry Rozier trade has been an absolute bust for the Miami Heat. And because of that, they're finally making the realization that Charlotte Hornets and Boston Celtics fans had made years ago about Rozier.
It's that while Rozier was a good story when he was an underrated and overlooked player, he's been far from that as soon as he landed the big contract from the Hornets. The Celtics passed on paying him. The Hornets took a chance. And the Heat are paying the ultimate price.
Miami is quickly realizing that even in the final year of his contract, Rozier is pretty untradable at this moment. Perhaps that will change the closer we get to the NBA Trade Deadline, but it doesn't appear as if Miami is going to have any chance to move him before the start of the season.
And for a team that is looking to turn the page on the Rozier era, Miami is pretty much stuck with the combo guard for now.
Terry Rozier is playing outside his comfort zone
It's certainly not as simple as this, but there's a strong argument to be made (with a ton of evidence behind it) that Rozier has been playing out of his comfort zone for the past few seasons. As soon as he went from being a lovable underdog to a player with real expectations on his shoulders, he was destined to disappoint.
I wouldn't even say Rozier has failed as a player, because he's had some really statistically productive seasons even after moving on from his original role with the Celtics. However, he has disappointed as a player who simply hasn't lived up to his contract.
Especially for the Heat, that's been the biggest gripe against Rozier. Because he's being paid $26 million, it's hard to overlook his inconsistencies and inefficiencies. Rozier is being paid like a starter and, more often than not, and specifically during his time with the Heat, is playing like an end-of-the-bench contributor.
That's simply not going to cut it. Since his acquisition at the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline, Rozier has not been the player the Heat were hoping to get. Maybe that's more of a Heat problem than it is a Rozier one, but there's no question his time in Miami has left much to be desired.
At this point, the Heat are finding out the hard way what Hornets and Celtics fans had already figured out about Rozier.