Tim BontempsMar 19, 2026, 01:06 PM ET
- Tim Bontemps is a senior NBA writer for ESPN.com who covers the league and what's impacting it on and off the court, including trade deadline intel, expansion and his MVP Straw Polls. You can find Tim alongside Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon on The Hoop Collective podcast.
The Miami Heat are expected to waive guard Terry Rozier before the end of the regular season to create a roster spot for the team's playoff run, sources confirmed to ESPN.
Rozier has been away from the team since being arrested on Oct. 23 as part of a federal investigation into illegal gambling. The trade that brought him to Miami in January 2024 from the Charlotte Hornets was under scrutiny over whether the Heat should have been made aware of NBA and federal investigations into an alleged gambling conspiracy before the swap was completed.
The Hornets agreed to send a second-round pick in this June's NBA draft to Miami to resolve the dispute. Miami owes its 2027 first (lottery protected, which becomes an unprotected 2028 first if it doesn't convey) to Charlotte as part of the trade.
Commissioner Adam Silver called it an "unprecedented situation" in a news conference at the NBA Cup in Las Vegas in December.
Rozier has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges of wire fraud and money laundering. His $26.6 million salary expires this summer, though the money has been placed in escrow while Rozier's case plays out.
Because Rozier's contract is expiring, he would have to be waived by 5 p.m. on April 9 to clear waivers before the end of the regular season on April 12.
Rozier's expected release was first reported by the Miami Herald.
