Might the “Scary Terry” era in Boston be entering its twilight?
The Ringer’s Bill Simmons “reported” Wednesday that Terry Rozier is unhappy with his playing time on the Boston Celtics. Simmons also said that NBA teams are well aware of the situation, and know that Boston “needs” to trade the 24-year-old guard.
Simmons, however, is a Celtics fan with minimal history as an NBA reporter — so his words should be taken with a grain of salt.
But Shams Charania is a different story. The Athletic’s NBA insider also has heard rumblings about Rozier, and shared what he’s learned in a column Wednesday morning.
“Elsewhere in Boston, with Kyrie Irving verbally committing to a return and a new deal with the Celtics, the franchise will eventually have to face a difficult decision when it comes to the possible lucrative restricted free agency of Terry Rozier,” Charania wrote. “Quietly, at least seven teams have been monitoring Rozier’s status this season, league sources told The Athletic, waiting to see if the Celtics could begin to field trade calls. The Phoenix Suns have aggressively pursued Rozier, even before firing Ryan McDonough as general manager, league sources said.
“Nevertheless, Boston appears content with its roster, and who could blame them? Celtics general manager Danny Ainge and his front office staff have built arguably the deepest roster in the Eastern Conference and anywhere in the league outside of the Bay.”
Rozier, of course, has every right to be disgruntled. A rising star in the NBA, the Louisville product has seen his minutes fall from 25.9 per game in the 2017-18 season and 36.6 in the playoffs to just 22.7 this season. And with Kyrie Irving “committed” to re-signing with Boston and Marcus Smart already inked to a long-term deal, Rozier likely knows his situation is unlikely to improve anytime soon.
That’s a tough pill to swallow for a player who averaged 16.5 points in Boston’s improbable playoff run to the Eastern Conference Finals. Furthermore, Rozier is scheduled to become a restricted free agent after this season, so he can be forgiven for wanting to showcase all his talents to potential suitors.
Is there a chance the Celtics iron things out with Rozier? Perhaps. But at this point, all signs point to Rozier being in his final days in a Boston uniform.
