MIAMI — Arguably no Miami Heat player needed more of a fresh start on Monday’s media day than Terry Rozier.
So weight down and hope up, Rozier spoke at Kaseya Center of a bounce-back after last season’s slide out of the rotation and into career-worst statistical depths.
“I’m ready,” Rozier said. “Now it’s just a matter of time getting out there to show everybody else.”
Asked how he fell into a statistical abyss, Rozier said, “I don’t know. I was just being a human. That’s what happens. But just glad I can still play basketball and do what I love. It’s just ready to turn it around this year.”
Still unclear with Rozier is where he stands when it comes to an ongoing federal investigation into gambling, an investigation that includes a focus during Rozier’s time with the Charlotte Hornets, before he was dealt to the Heat in January 2024.
Asked about external factors weighing on him, Rozier said, “I feel like it was tough at first. Nobody wants to go through being accused of anything. But right now, I feel like it’s not a factor in my mind and I can focus on playing basketball.
“I’m just happy I got a whole reset in the offseason.”
Rozier has not been charged with any offense, but declined to say whether he has further clarity.
“I’m not speaking on that,” he said.
Rozier, 31, is entering the final season of a contract that pays $26.6 million this season. However, with a portion of that salary non-guaranteed, waiving Rozier or buying him out could afford the Heat the ability to not only get below the punitive NBA luxury tax, but also sign a replacement player.
For now, it appears Rozier, a starter at the start of last season, will be able to compete in the backcourt rotation.
“Last year is last year,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “I think any one of us could look at last season and say, ‘Whoa, what was that?’ And that’s just the way it was. But what you can control is your approach every day, and Terry’s been in the gym.
“Terry’s been in the gym since mid-July. He’s been working with (rehab director) Jeff Ruiz on his body, his fitness. He’s in great shape. He’s lost 10, 12 pounds. His bodyfat is down. He’s moving great.
“I’m open to the start of the season and I’m not going to judge players or put ’em in pre-conceived boxes right now. We need some jumps, some pops. And I want to have an environment that’s open to guys stepping up.”
Waiting game
Eligible for a rookie-scale extension until Oct. 20, fourth-year forward Nikola Jovic said he is leaving such concerns to his representatives.
“I don’t really talk about it a lot,” Jovic said, “I’m not worried about it. I still have a year left on my deal, and I’ve got a lot of stuff to do and a lot of stuff to show, and we’ll see what’s going to happen in the next 20 days. Hopefully we end up figuring something out.
“I’m not really worried about it, because I know how much of a better player I am and how much I have to work more.”
If Jovic is not extended, he would stand as a restricted free agent next summer, with the Heat eligible to match outside offers.
Smith strides
Recovering from last December’s Achilles tear, guard Dru Smith said his expectation is to play during the preseason.
The Heat open their six-game exhibition schedule Saturday in Puerto Rico against the Orlando Magic.
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“As far as I know, yeah,” Smith said. “I’ve gotten to jump in some five-on-five here recently. They might be watching my reps a little bit still, in camp. I’m not 100% sure what it’s going to look like, but I think I’ll be good to go.”
Back at it
Back with the team that drafted him at No. 20 in 2020, big man Precious Achiuwa said he is embracing the reunion, even if on a non-guaranteed one-year contract at the veteran minimum.
Achiuwa said he feels like a different player than his first Heat tour, which included joining the team amid the pandemic after the quick turnaround from the Heat’s appearance in the 2020 NBA Finals.
“From my point of view, I was a very young player,” he said, now 26. “Especially joining the team that just had camp after the Finals and then you had COVID and a lot going on, a lot of things out of my control and getting thrown right into that right away in my rookie year, I’ve learned a lot.
“I’ve grown a lot as a basketball player. So coming back here, this is a place where I think my competitive spirit, my tenacity fits right in. I think that’s why I fit here.”
