Heat GM reveals 1 reason why they failed to make an offseason splash

It’s been a relatively quiet offseason for the Miami Heat, but that’s something they anticipated after trading for Terry Rozier in January, according to Miami Heat GM Andy Elisburg.

“Our free agent move this year was the Terry [Rozier] move,” Elisburg said in an interview with SiriusXM. “We just decided to do it early.”

When the Heat in January traded Kyle Lowry’s expiring $29.7 million deal and a first-round pick to the Charlotte Hornets for Rozier, the Heat also traded away the flexibility that would have come with Lowry’s contract coming off the books. Instead, they replaced Lowry’s expiring contract with Rozier’s, which is with $24.9 million for 2025-25 and $26.6 million in 2025-26.

The Miami Heat's decision to trade for Terry Rozier in January cost them the ability to make a major free-agent addition this summer.

Had the Heat not done the deal, they would have had access to the full $12.8 million midlevel exception when Lowry’s contract expired. There also would have been enough space below the second tax apron to potentially re-sign Caleb Martin.

Instead, the Heat are left with only the $5.2 million taxpayer midlevel exception and minimum contracts to offer to outside free agents. They are also unable to acquire a player through a sign-and-trade because of their position over the first apron. The Heat have only $1.5 million in space below the second apron, which they do not want to cross.

“Probably took us out of being able to do something with the mid-level, with sign-and-trades because of the apron rules that prevent that, which we knew when we made the move that it was one or the other,” Elisburg said.

The question, then, is whether the addition of Rozier is better than anything the Heat could have done on the free-agent market. Players who signed for the full mid-level exception (or close to it) include De’Anthony Melton (to Golden State), Jalen Smith (to Chicago) and Derrick Jones Jr. (to the LA Clippers). 

Rozier is better than Melton, Smith and Jones, so Miami’s decision checks out so far. But if there’s a fair grievance over the trade, it’s that it potentially cost the Heat a chance to add DeMar DeRozan this summer.

DeRozan had interest in signing with the Heat but not at the $5.2 million exception. Instead, he joined the Sacramento Kings through a sign-and-trade on a three-year, $74 million contract. At an average annual value of $24.6 million, DeRozan will earn slightly less than what Rozier will make per season.

It still would have been difficult to fit DeRozan onto the roster without going over the first apron (which would have been set as a hard cap after a sign-and-trade), but not impossible.

In 31 games with the Heat last season, Rozier averaged 16.4 points on 42.3% shooting, 4.6 assists and 4.2 rebounds before a neck injury sidelined him for the final four games of the regular season, both play-in games and Miami’s first-round series against the Boston Celtics.

Rozier has since been cleared for basketball activities and is on track to play at the start of the season.

Here’s what else Elisburg said in recent interviews about the Heat’s offseason and what comes next.

• When asked about Jimmy Butler’s future, Elisburg echoed Pat Riley’s comments in his end-of-season press conference. The Heat weren’t interested in discussing a contract extension with Butler this summer and instead want to see him be more engaged and available this coming season. 

“As Pat said at his press conference, it doesn’t have to be something you do now,” Elisburg said on SiriusXM. “You have an opportunity to do this all year long, so there’s an opportunity to do it at some point in time. And there’s an opportunity if he becomes a free agent next year to sit down and do a contract at that point in time. So there’s always an opportunity to do it. 

“I think Jimmy has indicated he wants to be in Miami. We’ve indicated we like Jimmy and we want him to be in Miami. Pat has indicated in his post-season press conference that there are things to see and there are challenges. Jimmy is not one who is familiar with having challenges and being part of being challenged. Pat and Jimmy are two very strong-willed people who are looking for the same thing, which is ultimately to win. So my view of it at the end of the day, it ultimately will work itself out. 

“There are lots of ways it can work out — and foremost, do the player and the team want to continue working together? If they do, there are lots of ways to make the rest of the numbers work if everyone wants to make a deal.”

• On re-signing Thomas Bryant, Elisburg told the Miami Herald that Erik Spoelstra was part of the reason the Heat brought Bryant back.

“Thomas, Spo likes and has played, and wanted to be here,” Elisburg said. “So Thomas filled that space of having another center onto the roster. You’re having to balance your various needs of the roster.”

• On carrying 14 players versus the NBA maximum 15, and whether the Heat could add a 15th player mid-season (around January) when they can sign a player to a prorated contract that wouldn’t take them above the second apron.

“I think we’ve had a lot of success as a franchise over the years of being able to fill that 15th player during the season,” Elisburg said. “Whether it has been a two-way that’s converted to an NBA contract or whether it’s been finding someone from somewhere else, we found the ability to get that other player. So at some point in time, having the flexibility to have that open spot, so there’s an opportunity for someone to get it.”