The Miami Heat is one of the most well-run organizations in the NBA. Every year, they are in the mix for an NBA Finals and always seem to step up their game once the playoffs occur. In 2023, they have been sitting in the middle of the Eastern Conference. They have bounced around the fifth and sixth spots and have felt a piece away, especially on offense. General manager Pat Riley made a massive move today to boost the offense. The Miami Heat have acquired Terry Rozier in the trade with the Charlotte Hornets.
Miami Heat Land Terry Rozier From Charlotte
According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the Heat are getting Rozier in exchange for a 2027 first-round pick and Kyle Lowry. It is an upgrade at the guard position for the Heat. While Lowry brings championship pedigree and intangibles that do not appear on the stat sheet, his age is starting to show. He has become a liability on the court, and the Miami Heat needed someone else in the rotation. They now get a great scorer who can create his own shot.
Terry Rozier Career
Rozier started his career with the Boston Celtics, but he shined during his time with the Charlotte Hornets. He averaged 20.0 points, 4.7 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game with Charlotte. He shoots 37 percent from three-point range and 84 percent from the free-throw line. The Miami Heat must be excited about his ability to take over a game.
Rozier has scored over 40 points five times in his career with the Hornets. He has scored 35+ points in an additional nine games as well. This is exactly what the Heat were lacking. Jimmy Butler is a great scorer, and Bam Adebayo is a problem around the basket. Outside of those two, there isn’t anyone who can go off on a consistent basis. Tyler Herro can go off but is still young, and the rest are role players. Rozier brings either a spark off the bench or another player the team has to think about.
Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets do not get a ton back from this trade, but that doesn’t make it bad. Getting a first-round pick is never bad, even if it ends up being in the 20s, because of how consistent the Miami Heat are. Even if the Hornets do not make the pick, it is another piece to the war chest to potentially get a player. Lowry isn’t going to change the franchise, but he could have an impact on this young team.
LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller look solid enough to be the team’s future. Lowry has made a career of doing the little things that win games. His ability to take a charge at the right moment has swung playoff games. If he can come in and instill some of those habits in these young players, it could pay dividends down the road. The Hornets are not going anywhere this season, so I applauded them for making moves to acquire pieces and cap flexibility down the road.
Where Does This Put The Miami Heat In The East?
This move solidifies the Miami Heat in the top four of the Eastern Conference. The Boston Celtics are the cream of the crop, with Milwaukee and Philadelphia close behind. While I personally love what the Indiana Pacers have done, I give a slight edge to the Heat in this move. They didn’t give up anything that would hurt them this season, and they still have pieces to move if they want.
The Miami Heat proved last year that their position in the standings doesn’t matter. However, if they can nab a top-four seed, this will be a team no one wants to play in the postseason. This is a great move for the Heat as they look to capture another NBA championship.
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Matt has been following sports since he was a kid. While football is his primary focus, Matt can talk about any sport anytime. He is a banker in Wisconsin and hosts two podcasts, Beers and Ears & Discontinued on Display.
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