Hornets send pick to Heat to resolve Terry Rozier dispute

The Charlotte Hornets are sending a 2026 second-round draft pick to the Miami Heat to resolve a dispute over Terry Rozier being below NBA and federal investigations over alleged playing conspiracy throughout the groups’ commerce in 2024.

The pick would be the most favorable of both Golden State‘s or Denver‘s second-round choices.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver in December stated the league would look into the opportunity of giving Miami some form of “satisfactory relief” as a result of Rozier at the moment cannot play.

“This is an unprecedented situation,” Silver stated on the time.

It was a multilayered difficulty for the league and the Heat, provided that Rozier’s $26.6 million wage took up about 17% of the staff’s cap area — and that the staff nonetheless owes the Hornets a first-round pick in both 2027 or 2028 to fulfill the phrases of the commerce that introduced Rozier to Miami.

It’s unclear who was conscious that Rozier was below federal investigation when the Heat made the commerce with the Hornets.

Rozier pleaded not responsible to conspiracy costs of wire fraud and cash laundering.

Federal prosecutors allege Rozier advised an affiliate he would take away himself early in a March 2023 sport, when he was with the Hornets. Rozier’s affiliate then allegedly bought the data to gamblers, who proceeded to wager greater than $200,000 on the below on Rozier’s statistics within the sport.

An arbitrator in February ruled in favor of Rozier in a wage dispute with the NBA that arose after he was indicted within the playing investigation, sources advised ESPN.

The Heat and NBA agreed to put Rozier’s wage for the 2025-26 season in escrow after Rozier was arrested and indicted in October as a part of a federal playing investigation that additionally led to costs towards Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups.

The NBPA appealed the settlement to withhold his wage, which is roughly $26.6 million.

ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and David Purdum and The Associated Press contributed to this report.