ASK IRA: As Rozier case grows, should Heat compensation grow as well?
Q: Ira, I thought it was important that the Terry Rozier draft pick was brought up in Pat Riley’s news conference and that he spoke on how it didn’t work out. But now that there’s even more news, it seems like they got screwed even worse. – Marcus.
A: For those who did not see, Courthouse News Service and other news outlets reported Monday that the government now plans to bring additional charges against Terry Rozier in the gambling scandal that kept him on NBA leave from the season opener through his recent Heat release, reporting, “NBA guard Terry Rozier will face more charges related to gambling on league games, federal prosecutors said in court Monday. Government lawyers told U. S.
District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall that they plan to file a superseding indictment by May 14, which would tack at least two charges onto Rozier’s existing case. ” And while the Heat did receive compensation from the Hornets in the form of a second-round pick this June (No. 41), the reality is that they still owe Charlotte either a first-round pick with top-14 protection next year or an unprotected first-round pick in 2028.
Based on the severity of the case, this no longer is just a case of the NBA or Hornets glossing over something minor. The fact that the pick due has yet to be put into play seemingly would have provided more time than the settlement on a mere second-rounder. No, a team cannot sue the league, or at least not do it within league rules.
But now, even more than ever, it feels as if the Heat were slighted. Again, the first-round pick due does not get put into play for at least another 14 months. So while Adam Silver adjudicated, it would seem the Heat could and should go back and ask for an appended ruling, just as the federal government is with the Rozier charges.