The Miami Heat are battling for early playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference, but they may look to trade one of their veteran guards before the February deadline.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported Monday that Terry Rozier is among Miami's "top trade candidates" alongside Jimmy Butler and the team's future first-round draft picks. Scotto highlighted the Heat's recent decision to move Rozier to the bench and the fact he "is owed $24.92 million this season and is guaranteed $24.92 million next season, with another $1.72 million non-guaranteed."

That remaining salary becomes fully guaranteed if Rozier's team reaches the conference semifinals and he appears in at least 70 regular-season games, so moving him before that potentially happens could be a wise financial decision from Miami's perspective.

He also doesn't appear to be as effective as he was in the past.

Rozier is averaging 13.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 40.4 percent from the field. That would be his lowest scoring total and his lowest field-goal percentage since the 2018-19 campaign.

The 30-year-old has also trended in the wrong direction of late with single-digit scoring totals in three of his last seven games.

Rozier's best trait has always been his ability to be a scoring spark with his shooting touch and ball-handling skills, but he isn't providing as much of that spark this season.

Perhaps a change of scenery could help him rediscover it, and other teams will surely be interested given his track record. Yet the Heat are stuck somewhat in the middle of the Eastern Conference with a roster that likely isn't good enough to compete with the likes of the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Milwaukee Bucks and others.

That could mean making some trades and resetting the roster a bit with an eye toward the future.

If that is the path Miami takes, moving a veteran who is a secondary contributor like Rozier makes some sense.