With the talented Terry Rozier nearing an important time in his career, contract-wise, whatever happens next involving him will be highly anticipated for the Boston Celtics.
With the explosive point guard nearing the end of his rookie contract will the Celtics, the next steps will be important ones, regarding both the future of the Boston Celtics and Terry Rozier.
In free agency, following this years campaign, Boston will be able to extend a qualifying offer to Rozier – which will stand at a mere $4,285,798. With the young star’s growth in the NBA and the abilities he’s shown the last couple of seasons, Rozier will command a much larger sum and there’ll be many a teams which will look to offer it.
Following his first two years in the league, where Rozier saw limited time, his break out year came this past year. The 2017-18 season saw Rozier play 25.9 minutes per game, scoring 11.3 points, along with 2.9 assists.
As he grows on the defensive end, Rozier brings a lot to the table and is a player who can get hot quickly. His 38.1 three-point percentage last season highlights his shooting range and ability to make shots.
Through a tough start to this year’s regular season, Rozier and the Celtics have struggled to maintain a consistently productive offense. Where the defensive end remains as solid as ever, their offensive woes continue to hold them back. Rozier’s seen a drop, so far, in minutes, as he backs up a healthy Kyrie Irving. Through eighteen games, Rozier has scored 7.9 points in 22.7 minutes per game.
With the Celtics needing a spark to get their season well and truly underway, it’s no surprise that there’ve been a number of trade rumours, involving them, this early on in the year. Rozier is a name that comes up in such talks.
At 24 years old, the budding point guard is nearing his prime years. For many teams, looking to rebuild or restructure, a player of Rozier’s caliber would be welcomed with open arms, when talking about gaining a starting point guard. While Rozier is beloved in the city of Boston, he’s nearing the end of contract and looks like one of the most likely to leave, in order to convey a healthy salary cap.
As the heart of Boston’s roster, Marcus Smart, recently signed a long term deal, keeping him in Boston for the foreseeable future; it looks a difficult task to make room to sign Rozier to a new deal.
As the current market continues to grow, players of Rozier’s ability ,who have an interesting ceiling, will command a hefty fee. While Smart received a 4-year, $51,999,900 deal, it looks like Rozier could get a similar offer.
The Celtics can either trade Rozier, let him walk – which wouldn’t help Boston, or sign him to a new deal. With Rozier’s minutes significantly low, the Celtics front office has a decision to make. While Rozier remains an important, valuable and favorite player on this team, there are decisions to make, regarding the future. Rozier is growing into a terrific player and is simply too talented not to receive growing playing time.