Terry Rozier said he should be ready to start the season for the Miami Heat as he recovers from a season-ending neck injury.
Rozier, who missed the final four games of the regular season and Miami’s entire first-round series against the Boston Celtics with a neck injury, said during a media session at a local Heat camp on Tuesday that he’s been fully cleared for basketball activities.
This is good news for the Heat, who don’t have another point guard on a standard contract besides Rozier. The Heat acquired Rozier before last season’s trade deadline, dealing away Kyle Lowry and a future first-round pick. Rozier, 30, averaged 16.4 points on 42.3% shooting, 4.6 assists and 4.2 rebounds in 31 games with the Heat.
With signs pointing to Rozier being ready to start the season, he’ll return to a Heat team motivated to bounce back from a disappointing season that saw them lose in the first round in five games to the eventual champion Celtics.
It’s been an uneventful offseason for the Heat, with the only outside additions being rookies Kel’el Ware and Pelle Larsson and journeyman scorer Alec Burks. The Heat re-signed Kevin Love, Thomas Bryant and Haywood Highsmith, but lost Caleb Martin to the rival Philadelphia 76ers. Dream trade target Donovan Mitchell remains with the Cleveland Cavaliers after signing a long-term extension.
Meanwhile, the Heat appear ready to run it back. Jimmy Butler will not seek an extension and will instead enter the season without a new contract, while Miami is ready to experiment with bigger lineups that include Bam Adebayo at power forward.
The Heat might tell you that their big free-agent acquisition was Rozier. After all, by trading Lowry’s expiring contract for Rozier’s long-term deal, the Heat essentially waived their ability to make a major free-agent addition this summer back in January. The Heat might hope that with a training camp and full season, Rozier will reach his potential as a lead guard.
Being cleared for basketball activities is the first step in that process.