Heat guard Terry Rozier was waived on Friday, months after he was indicted for an alleged role in an illegal gambling ring.
Rozier, 32, pleaded not guilty in December to conspiracy charges involving wire fraud and money laundering. His contract was set to expire and he has not played in a game for the Heat this season.
The move was necessary for Miami to add a player to its postseason roster.
His $26.6 million salary was the subject of arbitration facilitated by the NBA Players Association. He was placed on administrative leave and began depositing his paychecks into an interest-bearing escrow account shortly after his Oct. 23 arrest.
But Rozier fought for his paycheck successfully and has since been paid his full salary.
The union filed for arbitration on behalf of Rozier, arguing that he was due his salary. The arbitrator agreed with the union.
Rozier is accused of alerting gamblers that he would leave a game early while playing for the Charlotte Hornets in March 2023. The gamblers then bet large sums on the “under” figures for Rozier’s stats in that contest.
Rozier averaged 10.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 64 games (23 starts) for the Heat last season. His career averages through 10 NBA seasons for the Boston Celtics, Charlotte and Miami are 13.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists.
