NBA seeks solution as Heat stuck with Terry Rozier

Dec 18, 2025 12:51 PM

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said the league is attempting to find a path forward with the Miami Heat as they deal with the fallout from Terry Rozier’s ongoing legal situation.

Rozier is on unpaid leave while facing federal charges connected to an alleged illegal betting scheme, yet he still counts $26.6 million against Miami’s salary cap in the final year of his contract.

Because he cannot play, any potential trade would require league approval and would be extremely difficult to execute.

The Heat acquired Rozier in 2024 and sent out a 2027 first-round pick in the deal, a move that has become a source of frustration for the organization.

The alleged betting-related incident occurred in March 2023 when Rozier was with the Charlotte Hornets, and Miami says it was not made aware of any investigation at the time of the trade.

As a result, the team feels stuck with both a lost draft asset and limited roster flexibility.

“This is an unprecedented situation,” Silver said Tuesday in Las Vegas before the NBA Cup. “I think I’m incredibly sympathetic to the Heat and to their fans. But I think we’re going to try to work something through, work this out with them. But there’s no obvious solution here.”

Federal prosecutors charged Rozier in October, accusing him of alerting a friend that he would leave a game early so bets could be placed against his statistics. His attorneys have filed a motion to dismiss, but a judge has not yet ruled.

Silver noted that the NBA previously investigated the matter and found no violations, in part because the league lacks the subpoena power available to law enforcement.

Silver added that the NBA is now reviewing new information from federal indictments involving Rozier, Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, and former player Damon Jones, while also examining whether other players or personnel could be involved.

He emphasized that betting irregularities were flagged before the game in question, leading sportsbooks to remove wagers, calling it evidence that monitoring systems worked as intended.