Terry Rozier
A starter for four-and-a-half seasons who scored a career-high 43 points with the Hornets.
Terry Rozier played for the Charlotte Hornets from July 6, 2019, until January 23, 2024. He arrived in a sign-and-trade deal involving Kemba Walker and signed a three-year, $56.7 million contract upon joining. Later, on August 24, 2021, he signed a four-year, $97 million extension. Rozier was a starter for the Hornets for four-and-a-half seasons before being traded to the Miami Heat.
- team_affiliation
- Charlotte Hornets (since 2019)
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Rozier's tenure in Charlotte began on July 6, 2019, when he was traded as part of a sign-and-trade deal involving Kemba Walker. He immediately received a three-year, $56.7 million contract, though the deal faced criticism following the Hornets' poor 2019 playoff run and the departure of their longtime star. Rozier responded by elevating his game, scoring a then-career-high 35 points on December 18, 2019, against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He surpassed this mark multiple times, reaching 40 points in double overtime against Atlanta on March 8, 2020, and hitting a new career-high of 42 points against Cleveland on December 23, 2020. His scoring peak with Charlotte came on May 9, 2021, when he recorded 43 points in a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. Despite these individual highs, the Hornets struggled as a team, finishing 33–39 in 2021 and 43–39 in 2022, missing the playoffs both years after losing play-in games to the Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks respectively.
In Their Own Story
On December 7, 2017, while still with Boston, Rozier logged his first career triple-double in his first NBA start against the New York Knicks, recording 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. He became just the second player in NBA history to achieve this feat on debut, joining Tony Wroten. Two days later, in his second career start, he scored a then-career-high 31 points against the Atlanta Hawks. His clutch performance continued into the playoffs; in Game 7 of the first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks, Rozier scored 26 points to secure a victory. In the Eastern Conference Finals Game 6, he added 28 points despite a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. These moments defined his early career before moving to Charlotte, where he continued to lead the team in scoring and play-in appearances until his trade to Miami.
Reader's Guide
Terry Rozier served as a starter for four-and-a-half seasons with the Hornets after arriving on July 6, 2019. During this period, he was the team's primary scoring option, highlighted by multiple career-high games including 35 points against Indiana on December 29, 2021, and 34 points against Atlanta on January 21, 2023. He signed a significant four-year, $97 million extension on August 24, 2021, cementing his role as the franchise cornerstone following Kemba Walker's departure. The Hornets relied on him to lead the offense in critical moments, such as when he scored 39 points against Milwaukee on January 6, 2023. His tenure ended abruptly on January 23, 2024, when he was traded to the Miami Heat in exchange for Kyle Lowry and a protected first-round draft pick.
Did You Know?
- Rozier scored a career-high 43 points for the Hornets on May 9, 2021, in a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.
- He became only the second player in NBA history to record a triple-double in his first start, achieving 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists against the Knicks on January 31, 2018.
- Rozier signed a four-year, $97 million contract extension with the Hornets on August 24, 2021.
- During his time in Charlotte, Rozier led the team to two play-in tournaments, losing to Indiana in 2021 and Atlanta in 2022.