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Terry Rozier announced he should be ready to start the season for the Miami Heat as he recovers from a season-ending neck injury.
Rozier, who missed the final four games of the regular season and Miami’s entire first-round series against the Boston Celtics, shared during a media session at a local Heat camp on Tuesday that he has been fully cleared for basketball activities.
This development is a significant boost for the Heat, who don’t have another point guard on a standard contract besides Rozier. Acquired before last season’s trade deadline, Rozier came over in a deal that sent Kyle Lowry and a future first-round pick to the Charlotte Hornets. In 31 games with the Heat, the 30-year-old guard averaged 16.4 points on 42.3% shooting, along with 4.6 assists and 4.2 rebounds.
With signs pointing to Rozier being ready to start the season, he’ll return to a Heat team motivated to bounce back from a disappointing campaign that ended with a first-round playoff exit to the eventual champion Celtics.
It’s been an uneventful offseason for the Heat, with the only additions being rookies Kel’el Ware and Pelle Larsson, and journeyman scorer Alec Burks. The Heat re-signed Kevin Love, Thomas Bryant, and Haywood Highsmith, but lost Caleb Martin to the rival Philadelphia 76ers. Dream trade target Donovan Mitchell remains with the Cleveland Cavaliers after signing a long-term extension.
Meanwhile, the Heat appear ready to run it back. Jimmy Butler will not seek an extension and will instead enter the season without a new contract, while Miami is prepared to experiment with bigger lineups that include Bam Adebayo at power forward.
The Heat might tell you that their big free-agent acquisition was Rozier. By trading Lowry’s expiring contract for Rozier’s long-term deal, the Heat essentially waived their ability to make a major free-agent addition this summer back in January. The hope is that with a training camp and full season, Rozier will reach his potential as a lead guard.
Being cleared for basketball activities is the first step in that process, and the Heat are eager to see what Rozier can bring to the table as they aim to improve on last season’s results.
