Hornets ink Terry Rozier to four-year, $97 million contract extension

On the morning of August 19, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that the Charlotte Hornets have signed guard Terry Rozier to a four-year, $97M contract extension.

This was the maximum per-year value allowed under NBA salary cap rules for Rozier. The annual figures haven’t been released yet, but the AAV sits at a cool $24.25M per year through the 2025-26 season.

Rozier re-ups with the Hornets coming off of the best season of his career, in which he averaged 20.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.3 steals per game on 45 percent FG/38.9 percent 3P/81.7 percent FT shooting splits and canned 222 total 3-pointers in the 2020-21 season, the fifth-most in the NBA. Per Cleaning The Glass, Rozier hit a career-high 46 percent (76th percentile) of his mid-range field goal attempts, a marginal increase that showed in an improved ability to snake pick-and-rolls and hit off-the-dribble jumpers from the elbows.

At some point, the Hornets were gonna have to pay somebody. They decided to let Devonte’ Graham and Malik Monk walk, and if not for this extension Rozier would’ve been set to walk next summer (along with Miles Bridges hitting restricted free agency). Rozier has developed into one of the league’s premier shooters during his time here, and has improved nearly every facet of his game while serving as the team’s vocal, veteran leader. Having that kind of talent and leadership locked up long-term is never a bad thing, even if the player isn’t perfect.

And a casual reminder; NBA fans need not waste their time worrying about a contract being an “overpay” or “too expensive.” Nothing on this planet is “too expensive” for sports team owners, and if the team needs to create cap space down the line, they can just look for a trade. You’ve gotta spend money to make money.

Charlotte’s gonna be real scary for the next five years.