The Miami Heat could be about to get an unexpected lifeline from the NBA, one that could effectively change the outlook of their future and, perhaps most importantly, help them bust out of mediocrity. This scenario would revolve around the league giving back the Heat their first-round pick that they traded to the Charlotte Hornets in their original deal for Terry Rozier.
Even though it's impossible to predict what will happen next with Rozier, the noise being built by the next shoe to drop from the NBA is deafening. Sure, there's an entire due process that will take place for Rozier, but the NBA has its own decision to make, no matter what happens on that front.
You'd imagine that the NBA will need to make a decision, one way or another, pretty soon, or the Heat will almost certainly file some sort of grievance with the league. Of course, the problem is that the NBA had already cleared Rozier after their own investigation. And that certainly complicates the Heat's position a bit.
The labor agreement gives Adam Silver the immediate power to suspend or expel Rozier from the league if NBA has reason to believe the charges against him are true. Expelling him immediately would remove his salary from Heat's cap. Silver is under no obligation to wait for this to… https://t.co/wFBIlm0RXp
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) October 24, 2025
But simply removing Rozier's salary for the remainder of the year may not be enough for the Heat. In many respects, especially if the league or the Hornets, or both, knew about this current possibility before the Rozier trade to the Heat two years ago, Miami should demand its first-round pick back.
It has become increasingly clear in past 24 hours that information was withheld from Heat and Heat was wronged in all this. Whether Heat will try to rectify this must play out; for all of you yelling that Heat should sue the NBA, I would highly, highly doubt that would happen.
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) October 24, 2025
If, because of logistics or future precedent, a first-round pick can't be returned from the Hornets, there could be a push for some sort of compensatory pick being added to make things right for Miami.
If that were to happen, that simple move would tremendously change the future outlook for the Heat. By getting their pick back, or even a compensatory one, Miami would go from having just two tradable first-round picks at their disposal to four.
An out for NBA? If Hornets can't be forced to return 1st-rounder due from Heat from Rozier trade (claiming, like NBA, they didn't now), fine. Then add compensatory 1st-rounder for Heat in year pick is forwarded to Hornets. That, in turn, unlocks all future Heat picks for trade.
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) October 24, 2025
In other words, it would change everything for the Heat and, almost immediately, put them back in a great spot to jump in the market for the next superstar to demand a trade.
The Heat's future can change drastically with one decision from the NBA
As Heat beat reporter Ira Winderman notes, there are a few huge scenarios that could be in play for Miami, all of which the league has power over. First, if the league were to suspend Rozier, the Heat would get half of his salary back. If Rozier were to be ousted (or banned) from the league, the Heat would get all of his salary back. Such a move would push the Heat roughly $16 million below the luxury tax to add players.
But the most intriguing option is a possible unprecedented scenario in which the Heat gets their 2026 first-round pick back or a compensatory pick as a replacement.
For now, Miami owes the Hornets their 2026 first-round pick because of the original trade. However, the Heat can argue that the trade was made in bad faith and, because of that, it should be rescinded altogether.
Whether the league would be willing to go that far remains to be seen, but you'd expect some sort of resolution coming at some point in the future. It may not happen anytime soon, but it does feel as if the Heat has a real case to be made that they were wronged, and badly.
Even if it is just a small chance at the moment, the idea that the Heat's future could drastically change on a dime thanks to one decision from the NBA should give fans even more hope about what's on the horizon for Miami.