Terry Rozier’s sacrifice in Boston may have led to missing out on huge pay day

The once-promising championship contender Boston Celtics saw their season come to an end Wednesday, and for a former Louisville basketball guard, a chance at a big payday may have been lost.

Heading into the 2018-19 NBA season the Boston Celtics were being talked about as the team in the Eastern Conference and a legitimate contender to knock off the Golden State Warriors, and it wasn’t hard to see why.

Brad Stevens had everything needed to make a run at the Warriors. A superstar who was capable of dropping 30 points and dishing out 10 assists on any given night. A tough and battle-tested big man. A sidekick scorer and playmaker in second year wing Jayson Tatum. Defensive role players in Aron Baynes, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart. And finally, a sixth man of the year candidate and scary bench scorer in Terry Rozier.

Just one year earlier the Celtics had it all grooving down the stretch of the season, even without their newest signee Gordon Hayward, due to the play of Kyrie Irving and Jayson Tatum. But when a knee injury forced Irving to miss the back half of the season as well as the playoffs, all bets were off.

Until Scary Terry emerged.

After averaging just a little under ten points per game during the regular season playing behind Irving, Rozier stepped into the limelight when the opportunity came available. His“Scary Terry” persona made him and his team must-watch television. Whether it was calling Eric Bledsoe, “Drew Bledsoe” or wearing a Drew Bledsoe jersey to a game, or even wearing a Scary Terry, Drew Bledsoe t-shirt – Rozier continued to keep the nation on the edge of their seats.

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Through the playoffs Rozier averaged over 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists per game, playing 30 minutes a game and helped the Celtics advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Celtics had found a gem in Rozier, and with his stock through the roof and the Celtics having a tough decision to make on his future in 2019, it seemed a trade could happen. But it didn’t. Brad Stevens and General Manager Danny Ainge were committed to keeping the third year guard and using his scoring and defensive prowess off the bench to help the Celtics get over the hump this season.

Stevens spent a lot of time talking about Rozier through the offseason, acknowledging that finding playing time for him was difficult.

"“I just have to figure out how to get him as many minutes as possible. He’s tremendous. Not only in the way he plays when you guys all see him in the games, but just the way he goes about his everyday business. He works as hard as anybody on our roster.”"

Unfortunately, that challenge along with managing the egos of other stars on the team was too much, and Rozier’s sacrifice in playing time and in his role ended up hurting him.

After career highs in the 2018 playoffs, Rozier’s numbers took a big hit and it led many to believe he was the player most affected by the selfish play of Irving. Statistically, Rozier’s numbers all went down, going from 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists per game while playing 26 minutes a night to 9 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists in just 22 minutes.

When the Celtics fell to the Bucks 116-91 on Wednesday, ending their season in the process, Rozier didn’t hold back.

"“Everybody was running around with their heads cut off, like chickens. Coach was in a tough position, one of the toughest positions, dealing with all these guys with attitudes, all that s***. Guys that’s All-Stars, guys getting paid a lot of money, guys trying to get paid. It’s tough.”"

Knowing that his play in the 2018 playoffs and a big season in 2019 could’ve been huge for his future, that wasn’t all he had to say.

"“I don’t give a f*** what nobody say, I sacrificed the most out of anybody. I’m a top point guard in this league. I feel like it’s a fresh start, whether I’m here or whether I’m gone.”“I feel like I sacrificed the most, but I’d do it any day for this team. A lot of things weren’t fair to me, but it’s not about me. That’s why I don’t b**** and complain.”"

Now Rozier will enter free agency come July 1st as a restricted free agent (meaning Boston can match any offer that another team makes), and looking for big-time money. Will it come? That’s a tough question to answer, but after looking like a potential starting point guard last season, the downward trajectory of his numbers due to sacrificing minutes and role for the greater good of the team ultimately could end up costing Rozier big time.

The 2019 NBA Free Agency market will feature plenty of teams with a lot of money to spend, but with names like Kyrie Irving, D’Angelo Russell, Kemba Walker, Malcolm Brogdon, Goran Dragic, Ricky Rubio, and Derrick Rose available as well – teams could look at Rozier as a second tier guard.

Don’t get it twisted, plenty of NBA teams will be knocking on Rozier’s door looking to lock him up to a long-term deal, just it might not be at the price the Celtics guard was expecting a year ago.

Who might target Rozier? Here are a few teams to watch this summer.

Utah Jazz

It’s a long-shot, but Terry Rozier could easily step into the lead guard role that Ricky Rubio has held over the last few seasons. Rozier’s numbers were very similar to Rubio’s even playing less minutes in Boston. His ability to get to the rack and score on his own, as well as his 3-point shooting, rebounding, and defense would all be a huge upgrade for the Jazz, but to say that Rozier is the caliber play-maker and lead point guard might not be the case just yet. Utah will likely aim for Kemba Walker or Mike Conley (via trade) but Rozier would be a nice plan B.

Chicago Bulls

The Bulls have a lot of money to spend this summer and will likely target a few of the bigger names on the market, but if they aren’t able to land them or draft Ja Morant, it wouldn’t be a shock to see them knocking on Rozier’s door. His Scary Terry persona would fit in perfectly in a city desperately looking for something to get behind with the Bulls.

Indiana Pacers

The Pacers are the team who may benefit the most from Boston likely falling apart as they are ready to take the next step in competing for a chance at the NBA Finals when Victor Oladipo is healthy. With their starting point guard, Darren Collison, hitting free agency they could look to target a younger option.