The Boston Celtics went through a ton of roster turnover this offseason. In one of the busiest summers in recent memory, the Celtics overhauled important parts of the roster, resulting in fans having to say goodbye to some of their favorites, including Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet.
There are also a few former fan favorites who are on the move. Marcus Smart already broke Celtics fans' hearts by signing with the Los Angeles Lakers this summer. Another former Celtics guard is reportedly on the verge of leaving his current team to head elsewhere.
Former Celtic Terry Rozier Likely on the Move Before the New Season
Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reported this week that Terry Rozier may be on his way out in Miami. The 31-year-old combo guard is entering the final year of his contract, which is set to pay him $26.6 million next season. The Heat are looking to shed some salary to create room below the luxury tax line, and Rozier's contract could be a good way to do so.
Miami has a few options in front of it. They have until August 29th to waive and stretch Rozier. This would spread his $26.6 million salary to the next three seasons. They can also just waive Rozier and eat $24.9 million as dead salary on their books for next season. They could also offload his contract to a team with cap space, like the Brooklyn Nets. They would have to attach draft capital to entice them to take him on.
None of these are appealing options for a team that wants to be competitive going forward. It also highlights how far Rozier has fallen in recent years. During his Celtics years, Rozier was an excellent two-way guard. He could guard multiple positions and play on and off the ball on the other end of the court. He became a prolific scorer after he was traded to the Charlotte Hornets as part of the Kemba Walker deal. Consistently scoring 20 points per game, Rozier earned himself a four-year, $96 million deal in the 2021 offseason, but hasn't been able to live up to that contract ever since.
What the future holds for Rozier remains to be seen, but his days as an impactful two-way player for teams with playoff aspirations may be over.