Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier’s future has been a topic of conversation this offseason, as the Heat have made efforts to move on from him.

But as of now, he remains with the team, and it appears that’s partly because one trade scenario involving the Heat and Washington Wizards didn’t come to fruition.

“There were some talks between Miami and Washington about Marcus Smart,” NBA insider Jake Fischer said. “I think there was a framework being contemplated about Marcus Smart being traded for Terry Rozier at one point in time.”

Instead of being traded, Smart was recently bought out by the Wizards, which led to him landing with the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent.

Smart’s grit and intensity likely would’ve made him a good fit with the Heat, assuming the two sides would’ve been able to put aside their past battles from when the guard was a member of the Boston Celtics. Smart has earned three All-Defense nods and was the Defensive Player of the Year in the 2021-22 season.

The veteran has offensive limitations but is capable of making himself useful on that end of the floor. In his final four seasons with Boston, he averaged 12.4 points and 5.7 assists per game, even though his efficiency was shaky.

The big question with Smart right now is whether he can stay healthy. Since his Celtics tenure ended, he hasn’t appeared in more than 34 games in a season. He will look to change that with the Lakers, who are trying to contend in the Western Conference.

Meanwhile, the Heat are still tied to Rozier, who is under contract for one more season. The 31-year-old just had a rough season in which he was almost unplayable at times, but it’s possible that he’ll bounce back in the 2025-26 campaign.

Rozier averaged 10.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game last season while shooting 39.1 percent from the field and 29.5 percent from beyond the arc. In his final full season with the Charlotte Hornets, he averaged 21.1 points per game.

To his credit, Rozier is said to be a “very good teammate” who hasn’t caused any trouble in the Heat locker room despite his struggles. No matter where he goes from here, hopefully he can find his footing again.