CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte Hornets and Terry Rozier have agreed to a four-year contract extension, according to a report.
The Charlotte Observer confirmed Thursday morning with a league source that Rozier will sign a maximum extension worth $97 million that will keep him with the Hornets through the 2025-26 season. He has one season left on his current contract.
The deal will make him one of the NBA’s 10 highest-paid shooting guards, per Spotrac.
Rozier, 27, averaged a career-best 20.4 points per game last season as the Hornets’ starting shooting guard, along with 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists.
He came to the Hornets ahead of the 2019-20 season as part of a sign-and-trade deal with the Boston Celtics. The plan at the time was for him to play point guard, but the development of Devonte’ Graham that season gave Charlotte a sharp-shooting guard combo with Rozier sliding over to the No. 2 spot. He shined even more as a shooting guard this past season with the nickname “Scary Terry” thanks to his clutch shooting in the fourth quarter of games to keep the Hornets in playoff contention after injuries to LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward.
But his efforts weren’t enough to end Charlotte’s playoff drought. Injuries to Ball, Hayward and Miles Bridges left too much of the burden on Rozier, who will be entering his seventh season since being drafted 16th overall out of Louisville. Of the eight games in 2020-21 that Rozier played more than 40 minutes, five came in the final 33 days of the season.
Rozier should have a stronger supporting cast this season. In addition to drafting shooting guard James Bouknight and center Kai Jones in the first round, the Hornets signed small forward Kelly Oubre, who should provide a significant scoring option off the bench.
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Observer reporter Jonathan M. Alexander contributed to this story.
