Hornets, Heat Resolve Ongoing Terry Rozier Drama With Future Draft Capital Heading to Miami

The Charlotte Hornets and the Miami Heat have put a bow on the ongoing Terry Rozier trade drama.

ESPN's Shams Charania announced on Monday afternoon that the Hornets are sending a 2026 second-round pick to Miami to resolve the dispute centered around Rozier's involvment in a gambling conspiracy from his time in Charlotte.

The Hornets are sending a 2026 second-round draft pick to the Heat to resolve a dispute over Terry Rozier being under NBA and federal investigations over alleged gambling conspiracy during the Charlotte-Miami Jan. 2024 trade, sources tell ESPN.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 9, 2026

The Heat have attested that the Hornets knew about the investigation when they traded Rozier to Miami in January of 2024, and that they deserved extra compensation because Charlotte withheld the information when the deal was consummated.

The original deal saw Rozier get sent to Miami in return for Kyle Lowry and a protected first-round pick that will likely convey to Charlotte in 2027. Of note, the deal was made by Charlotte's previous front office group led by Mitch Kupchak -- Jeff Peterson hasn't struck a deal with Miami in his two seasons in charge in Charlotte.

In 95 games as a member of the Heat, Rozier is averaging 12.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. He hasn't played at all in 2025-26 due to the NBA and FBI's ongoing investigation.

Why the Hornets Agreed to This

I'm sure that Charlotte was ready to wipe their hands of this entire situation, and they believed that the payment of a second-round pick (in a draft where they already own multiple first-round selections) was worth less than a long, drawn-out legal battle involving Miami and the NBA.

Between the impending re-signing of Coby White, the two first-rounders they have in 2026, and the 14 players already under contract for 2026-27, the Hornets are facing a roster crunch this summer that would have been exacerbated further by making another selection in the second round.

Sending this pick to Miami should assuage any tensions between the two franchises without depleting any of Charlotte's valuable assets. This deal doesn't mean that Jeff Peterson and Pat Riley are definitely going to engage in any future trade negotiations, but it does leave the door ajar for conversations to be reopened between the franchises.

Miami was likely pining to receive a first-round pick back from Charlotte, but in reality, that was never going to happen.

The trade now nets out as Rozier and a 2026 second (from Denver or Golden State) for Kyle Lowry and Miami's 2027 first-round selection; a deal that Charlotte would make again if given the chance, regardless of Rozier's legal status.

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