Former Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier has asked a judge to modify the conditions of his bond because they are impacting his hopes of returning to the . Rozier, who was arrested by the FBI in October and faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering and sports bribery as part of a wide-ranging illegal gambling ring, will be a free agent this summer.
As part of Rozier’s bond, he has been ordered not to have any contact with the Charlotte Hornets, who he played for from 2019 to 2024. During March of 2023, Rozier is alleged to have taken a $100,000 bribe to exit a game early so that bettors could win money on his player prop lines.
Rozier was subsequently traded to the Heat in January of 2024, and he was initially ordered not to have contact with that franchise either, though federal prosecutors have since lifted that restriction.
Rozier’s attorney, Jim Trusty, said in a court filing obtained by that the conditions of his client’s release are “unfairly punitive,” adding that “with forced inactivity, Mr. Rozier is facing a potential second season of non-participation despite being entitled to a presumption of innocence.”
“With the NBA’s free agency process officially beginning June 30, maintaining the Hornets on the no-contact list would likely prevent him from having any opportunity to play in the NBA,” Trusty wrote. “Under the current ruling of the arbitrator, an inability to play for or against the Charlotte Hornets would constitute a ‘failure to perform services’ by Mr. Rozier and substantially diminish or eliminate any chance of being contracted by an .”
Rozier, who has pleaded not guilty to the federal charges, was put on leave by the NBA in October after his arrest.
An arbitrator initially ruled that the NBA could not withhold Rozier’s $26.6 million salary for the 2025-26 season. However, the two parties went back to an arbitrator earlier this year after the league argued that the conditions of Rozier’s bond, which prohibit him from having contact with the Hornets or traveling across country, meant he was in breach of his contract. This time, the arbitrator ruled in the NBA’s favor, despite protests from Rozier and the National Basketball Players Association. As a result, Rozier will forfeit the majority of his salary from last season.
Rozier, 32, last played during the 2024-25 season with the Heat. He averaged 10.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists on 39.1% shooting.
Rozier is due back in court in Brooklyn, New York, on June 10.
