The Charlotte Hornets have agreed to a four-year contract extension worth $97 million with guard Terry Rozier, according to US media reports. 

Last season, Rozier, a six-year NBA veteran, averaged a career-high 20.4 points and 4.2 assists in his second year with the Charlotte side.

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The Hornets acquired Rozier in a sign-and-trade deal in 2020 that included Kemba Walker going to the Boston Celtics. In his very first season with the Hornets, the 27-year-old averaged 18 points and 4.1 assists and shot a career-high 40.7% from 3-point range.

“I had a lot of fun,” Rozier said of last season during exit interviews, per the Hornets. “It’s been a long season and different than the usual. There’s a lot of promising things that we’ve shown and seen. We’re only looking to grow and get better as a whole. Ending the season how we ended it with six straight losses is never fun, but we’re building something and we’re looking forward to what’s ahead. I’m happy to be here. I like this organization a lot and I love this city a lot. I’m just looking to grow and get better with my guys around me.”    

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Although Hornets haven’t yet officially confirmed the news, the player has himself retweeted reports confirming his contract extension. Meanwhile, a person close to the matter spoke to The Associated Press on Thursday on the condition of anonymity and confirmed the deal.

The Hornets have missed the playoffs in each of the past five seasons, and they haven’t actually won a postseason series since 2002. However, with the young, talented roster that the team has built, Charlotte appears to be trending in the right direction, and Rozier will now continue to be a big part of that.