The past 48 hours have been a wave of emotions for the Charlotte Hornets. First, there was the elation and excitement following Monday night’s 18-point comeback road win over the West’s top-ranked Minnesota Timberwolves. Then, on Tuesday morning, news suddenly broke that Terry Rozier had been traded to the Miami Heat, a tough, yet necessary, decision for the organization’s short and long-term future.
Rozier departs Charlotte midway through a career year, which includes personal highs in points (23.2), assists (6.6), field-goal percentage (45.9%) and minutes played (35.5). There’s no denying that this season hasn’t gone as planned for the Hornets, and over the past few weeks, it’s been clear that changes needed to be made. The incoming 2027 first-round pick and Kyle Lowry’s expiring contract are both prized resources that can be used to further upgrade the roster.
“Looking at our timeline, we had to be realistic, and we had to be realistic about the year Terry Rozier was having,” said Hornets’ President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Mitch Kupchak. “It’s hard to make a deal like this when a guy has played as hard as he has on the court. The pick itself has incredible potential for upside. An asset that valuable can also be something you can put into a trade. The financial part was a part of it, but getting the pick was the most important part. The trade deadline is February 8th, and we’ll continue to be active.”
Through four-and-a-half seasons, Rozier climbed to fifth on the franchise’s all-time scoring leaderboard (5,974 points) and finishes his Hornets’ tenure third in 3-point field goals (864) and 30-point games (33), tied for third in 20-point games (160), and 10th in both assists (1,395) and steals (347). Statistics, records, and rankings aside, Rozier’s ultimate value to the organization and city was how he carried himself since arriving from Boston in the summer of 2019.
Day in and day out, Rozier was the best worker, leader, competitor, and teammate that anybody could ask for. Always the toughest one on the floor, he held himself and those around him to the highest of standards and was the first one to take the blame after a loss. No matter the circumstances, he poured his heart and soul into everything he did, whether it was a game, practice, workout, or community event, until there was nothing left to give.
Added Kupchak, “He made a great impact on this organization. We know how involved he was in the community and of course, on the court, this year he’s having his best year ever. Rarely does he miss a game. Every time he goes in for layup, he gets thrown to the ground, does a side flip or whatever, and runs back down the court. It’s hard to say goodbye to a player like that.”
There were so many memorable shots in ‘Terry Time,’ probably none bigger than the game-winning buzzer-beater over Golden State back in 2021. This trade is no doubt bittersweet, but Rozier will finally get another well-deserved opportunity to compete in the postseason. Playoff games are what he’s built for and something he so badly wanted to bring to Charlotte.
Rozier is absolutely everything an NBA organization could ask for. All the players, coaches, fans, and community members that have crossed paths with him are better off having done so. Terry Rozier might not be in Charlotte anymore, but the impact he made certainly will be.