Inside The Heat

NBA Commissioner gives perplexing answer regarding Miami Heat's situation

Finally, one elephant in the room was spoken about
Alex Toledo|
Dec 16, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks during press conference at the Emirates NBA Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Dec 16, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks during press conference at the Emirates NBA Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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Miami Heat

One matter surrounding both the Miami Heat and the NBA this season seemingly won't go away anytime soon, that being what happens with Terry Rozier amid him having been arrested on federal charges related to sports betting.

Prior to Tuesday night's NBA Cup Final, NBA commissioner Adam Silver addressed the media, where he was asked about the timeline of the ongoing situation as well as if the league has considered granting the Heat with any relief as a result of it.

“In terms of Miami, this is an unprecedented situation. I’m incredibly sympathetic to the Heat and their fans. We’re going to try and work this out with them, but there’s no obvious solution here," Silver said. "I would just say that there’s no doubt, at the moment, they have a player that can’t provide services for them, and as to the draft pick they conveyed, obviously [Rozier] hasn’t been convicted of anything yet either, but this is an unfortunate circumstance, but sometimes there's these unique events and, maybe sometimes, they require unique solutions. We’ll be looking at this with the Heat and other teams and see if there's any satisfactory relief.”

"On the timeline, it's essentially out of our hands. As you know, these are federal indictments in the case of Terry Rozier and in Brooklyn, New York, the Eastern District of New York. We had investigated him at some point earlier. We had not found sufficient evidence to discipline him under the rules of the league, and then, at some point, that investigation was taken over by federal authorities. So, as I said, it's in their hands, and also now obviously he's been indicted and then, you know, trial schedule, etc.," Silver said. "So, timeline uncertain."

The Heat dealt for Rozier midway through the 2023-2024 season, and it seems neither the Charlotte Hornets nor the NBA informed the Heat of the NBA's investigation into Rozier prior to the trade.

Rozier had an okay first couple of months with the team before a season where his impact went down the drain on both ends of the floor. After playing in just one preseason game, Rozier was arrested after the Heat's opening night loss to the Orlando Magic.

The Ringer's Bill Simmons, appearing on The Zach Lowe Show, scoffed at Silver's remarks and laid out what a resolution for the Heat could look like.

Just the Heat being allowed to use Rozier's $26.6 million contract in a trade could be helpful for them, but getting back the lottery-protected 2027 first round pick that they currently owe the Hornets would result in the Heat being able to double the amount of first round picks they could potentially offer in a trade, (cough cough, Giannis Antetokounmpo).

Earlier this month, Rozier, on unpaid leave, appared in federal court, where he formally pleaded not guilty. Afterwards, he was released on a $3 million bond. Rozier isn't expected back in court until March for a pre-trial hearing.

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For more Miami Heat information and conversation, check out Off The Floor.

Alexander Toledo is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI and producer/co-host of the Five on the Floor podcast, covering the Heat and NBA. He can be reached at Twitter: @tropicalblanket

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Alex Toledo
ALEX TOLEDO

Alex, who was born in Miami, is also a producer, co-host and reporter for the Five on the Floor podcast. He has covered the Heat and NBA since 2019 as a season credential holder. He studied journalism at Florida International University.

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