The Miami Heat finally have their point guard. Just a few minutes ago, NBA insider Shams Charania broke the news that the Charlotte Hornets will be sending Terry Rozier III to the Heat in exchange for Kyle Lowry and a 2027 1st round pick.
NBA Trade: Heat Acquire Hornets’ Terry Rozier for Kyle Lowry, 2027 1st
Terry Rozier Trade
JUST JN: Miami is nearing a trade to acquire Charlotte’s Terry Rozier for a package sending Kyle Lowry and draft compensation that includes a first-round pick, league sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. pic.twitter.com/FGFkpDifYe
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 23, 2024
Miami had been actively searching for a point guard to pair with the dynamic trio of Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, and Bam Adebayo, and they may have found their man in Rozier.
Rozier signed a four-year, $96.26 million contract extension with the Hornets in 2021, and will not be a free agent until 2026. He will be 32 years old at that time.
Lowry is not expected to be waived by the Hornets, as they seek a trade partner willing to take on the six-time All-Star and 2019 NBA champion. His contract is set to expire at the end of this season.
The 2027 1st round pick that Charlotte will be receiving is lottery-protected and will flip to an unprotected 2028 first round pick should the protections occur, as reported by NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski.
ESPN Sources: In the Rozier deal, Miami’s first-round pick is lottery-protected in 2027 and unprotected should it convey to 2028.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 23, 2024
Terry Rozier
A dynamic scorer, Rozier has enjoyed the highest scoring season of his NBA career so far. The University of Louisville product is averaging 23.2 points per game. His 45.9% field goal conversion rate is also the highest of his career.
Drafted by the Boston Celtics with the 16th pick in 2015, “Scary Terry” began to make a name for himself in the 2017-18 season, taking over the point guard duties for the injured Kyrie Irving. In the 2018 playoffs, he averaged 16.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game, helping the short-handed Celtics reach the Eastern Conference Finals. They eventually lost to LeBron James‘ Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games. In 2019, Rozier was traded to the Hornets as part of the Kemba Walker trade.
Since arriving in Charlotte, Rozier has continued to display his scoring ability. That hasn’t translated into team success, however. During Rozier’s tenure, the Hornets only managed to reach the play-in spots as the 10th seed in 2021 and 2022. They failed to reach the playoffs on both occasions, losing in the first game.
Kyle Lowry
The Heat reached the Eastern Conference Finals in both of Kyle Lowry’s first two seasons with the team. In 2022, they lost to the Celtics in seven games. However, they exacted revenge on Boston in 2023 by winning Game 7 in Boston to reach the NBA Finals. They would proceed to lose out to to the eventual champion Denver Nuggets in five games.
Lowry’s offensive role has diminished this year, averaging only 8.2 points per game. Now 37 years old, Lowry’s 28.2 minutes per game are his lowest since the 2008-09 season, when he was still with the Houston Rockets.
Season Outlook
The Hornets are currently 10-31, sitting 13th in the Eastern Conference. Miami is the sixth seed at the moment, with a record of 24-19, and will be looking to make a push for home court advantage in the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs.
