The NBA trade deadline is less than a week away, and the New Orleans Pelicans are in the thick of the rumor mill. On Friday, a report surfaced from NBA Insider Marc Stein that the Pelicans expressed interest in acquiring six-time all-star Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat. The potential trade package would center around Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, who is in the final year of his current contract.

A deal to acquire Butler would be tricky for New Orleans, given the salaries do not currently match, and the Miami forward has a $53 million player option for next season. The Pelicans are currently above the salary cap and would have to pay a tax if they don’t get under by the end of the year. Butler and the Heat are at odds because the store forward could not secure a long-term deal with Miami.

Butler has shown his displeasure with his contract negotiations through his actions, and the Heat have responded by suspending him three times this season alone. A trade of Butler seems imminent, but John Gambadoro from 98.7 FM Phoenix doesn’t believe the Pelicans are the team that will make the trade.

According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the New Orleans Pelicans have not even made offer yet for Butler. Despite, how much chatter there’s been of potentially swapping Brandon Ingram for Butler.

New Orleans has never paid the tax in its franchise history, and any team Butler is traded to would need to offer him an extension for him to be happy. A possibility is the Pelicans being a third or fourth team in a trade to shed salary and get them under the cap. New Orleans just lost starting point guard Dejounte Murray to an Achilles injury that will force him to miss the remainder of the season.

The Pelicans are currently 12-37 on the year and already out of playoff contention. Their primary focus before the deadline will be to shred salaries and get future assets. We will all know by next week which direction they’ll head in.