Earlier today, the Miami Heat traded guard Kyle Lowry and a 2027 first-round pick to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for guard Terry Rozier.

Lowry, while a solid veteran piece for a Heat team that made the NBA Finals last season, is nowhere near the perineal all-star player he was in Toronto. He’s older, and too old to keep around on a contending team. The Heat owed him nearly 30 million dollars on the final year of his deal, so they needed to get him off their books. They were unable to trade for star guard Damian Lillard before the season started, so they traded him at the deadline for Hornets guard Terry Rozier.

Rozier has played very well for the Hornets. Since being traded to Charlotte in the Kemba Walker trade, Rozier averaged 21 points, five rebounds, and four assists in his five seasons in Charlotte, and he’s only 29 years old.

Rozier is still in his physical prime and is in a prime position to help the Miami Heat go on multiple playoff runs with their core of Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, and Bam Adebayo. The Miami Heat may make another move at the trade deadline if another star becomes available at the deadline, maybe Donovan Mitchell, but the Heat can still make a deep playoff run with their current roster.

The Hornets will more than likely trade Lowry to another team and acquire more draft capital to keep rebuilding since they are still not at the stage in their process to truly compete in the Eastern Conference.