The Heat are cutting ties with disgraced NBA guard Terry Rozier, with ESPN reporting Friday that he will be waived later in the day.
Rozier was placed on leave by the NBA in October amid a federal investigation into sports gambling, in which he is accused of manipulating his stats so his Under bets would cash during his time with Charlotte.
The FBI arrested him last October as part of its investigation into a gambling ring, and he pleaded not guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy charges.
Despite being placed on leave, he occupied a roster spot for the 41-39 Heat and they opted to create an opening ahead of the Play-In Tournament next week.
Miami reportedly had been eyeing this move with the regular season two days away from its conclusion.
The Heat landed Rozier from the Hornets in January 2024 for a protected 2027 first-round pick and veteran Kyle Lowry, and later filed a dispute over the acquisition cost after the allegations came to light.
The Hornets agreed to send the Heat a 2026 second-round pick as part of what NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called “satisfactory relief,” per ESPN, although Miami did not receive financial compensation.
Rozier is making $26.6 million this season in the final campaign of the four-year $96.3 million deal he signed with Charlotte.
The NBA ruled in February that Rozier needed to continue being paid, per the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Rozier is accused of faking an injury and pulling himself out of the first quarter of a game while he was a member of the Hornets in 2023.
He was arrested in October for allegedly tipping off bettors that he was going to pull himself out of a March 23, 2023 game against the Pelicans.
Former Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups was among those also arrested at the time.
Rozier’s arrest was the second of many, which started with the brother of Nets forward Michael Porter Jr., Jontay Porter.
Porter was given a lifetime ban by the league and pleaded guilty to a gambling scheme in an attempt to manipulate his stats and help people make money on gambling apps.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
