The Charlotte Hornets have finally begun their selling process, as they have agreed to a trade with the Miami Heat for the services of veteran guard Terry Rozier. Rozier is headed to Miami in exchange for Kyle Lowry and a 2027 first-round pick, according to reports.
The Charlotte Hornets are trading Terry Rozier to the Miami Heat for a 2027 first-round pick and Kyle Lowry, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 23, 2024
The pick headed to the Hornets does have some protections, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, an expected development for the Heat to protect themselves in case they bottom out by 2027. The pick has lottery protections in 2027 and will be unprotected in 2028 should the pick not belong to Charlotte before then.
Do not expect to see the Hornets simply buy out Lowry at this time. The Hornets are working on facilitating another trade that could hopefully net them additional future assets, or at least something rather than nothing.
The Hornets have no immediate plans to work on a buyout with Lowry and are expected to see if they can work another trade for him before the February 8 deadline, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 23, 2024
It took a little longer than anyone would have preferred, considering how this season has played out in Charlotte, but the Hornets are finally capitalizing on the all-time high value of Rozier. This team was going nowhere fast and needed to find a way to reset their roster and help them build for a competitive future that is still a little ways away. Rozier was mostly considered a secondary trade target up until recently. This was due to being under contract through 2025-26 and one of the few productive players on the roster. Most of the attention has gone to Gordon Hayward, as he is in the final year of the four-year deal he signed prior to the 2020-21 season. With Rozier out of the mix, expect trade focus in Charlotte to be centered around Hayward in addition to Miles Bridges.
The deal sending Rozier to Miami for Lowry and a draft pick is exactly how the Hornets need to operate right now. Acquiring a future first-round pick and potentially having another player to flip before the February 8th trade deadline is a good start to getting this franchise on the right track. Charlotte is going to need to acquire blue-chip caliber players in the immediate future, and the best way to do that is by having first-round picks at their disposal. The Hornets can either hang on to the pick or use it in a different trade to bring in another high-level player to play alongside LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller.
For an irrelevant team like Charlotte, it is all about bringing in as many resources to build the team as possible. Acquire as many future draft picks and promising young players who are being bumped for playing time on contending teams for star players as they can to build a promising future. Trading Rozier now is just the first of many steps in this process.