Last season, the Charlotte Hornets made one of the shrewdest trades in recent franchise history. Looking to move on from Terry Rozier, the organization found a taker in the Miami Heat.
Because of the Heat's interest in the veteran guard, Charlotte was able to get a first-round draft selection in the deal. The pick is lottery-protected in 2027 and will turn into an unprotected first-rounder the following year if unconveyed.
It may not have looked like it at the time, but as time has passed, it has proven to be a fleece job by the Hornets. Rozier may have helped his former squad qualify for two consecutive play-in tournaments, but he eventually wore out his welcome in the Hive.
Rozier's struggles with the Heat are nothing new for Hornets fans
In 4.5 seasons in Charlotte, he put up 20.0 points and 4.7 assists per contest. However, he shot just 43.6 percent from the field. Rozier tended to shoot the team out of games in its losses. While many Hornets fans loved him, he had such a polarizing reputation, especially during the latter parts of his tenure with the franchise.
Interestingly, the 30-year-old's stint in Miami might not last as long as he did in Charlotte. Less than a year after he relocated to South Beach, he has become the subject of trade discussions in recent weeks.
At 13-13, the Heat appear to be unravelling. Jimmy Butler's name has been persistently brought up in trade rumors. Meanwhile, Bam Adebayo hasn't played up to his standards in this campaign and even figured in a hilarious argument with Rozier after battling for a rebound earlier this month.
"Scary Terry" was supposed to bring stability to the backcourt, but that hasn't been the case so far in the 2024-25 campaign. He even lost his starting job 12 games into the season. Some folks believe he is more suited as a sixth man than a starter, and the Hornets did well giving the Ohio native up before having to deal with his demotion from the starting lineup.
Furthermore, Rozier's inability to be effective as a playmaker has been on full display in Miami. Five players are ahead of him in average assists per 36 minutes, namely Butler, Tyler Herro, Adebayo, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Kevin Love. Of course, numerous Hornets fans already knew about that after having watched him for several years.
It's worth noting, though, that Rozier could actually be useful in Charlotte today. The squad needs a firestarter off the bench with Tre Mann out indefinitely. But that ship may have already sailed, even if he has backtracked on his previous criticism of the Hornets by praising the organization's mentality.