The trade deadline comes closer with every day that goes by. We have yet to see teams be as aggressive as usual, but that does not mean plans and conversations do not occur behind the scenes. A team that might wait until the very last day before the deadline before making a deal are the Miami Heat.

Barry Jackson from Miami Herald reports that the moves Miami make — or if they make any move at all — will depend on the team's performance as the deadline approaches:

“If the Heat is playing well just before the Feb. 8 trade deadline, Miami would look to make a trade only if an All-Star talent becomes available. … The Heat wouldn’t look to make a lateral move if it’s playing well. But we’re told Miami would be more active in trade talks if it’s playing poorly before the trade deadline.”

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Currently, the Heat hold the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, just one game behind last season's East Champions Cleveland Cavaliers. Miami has played very good basketball despite suffering from numerous injuries throughout the season — Hassan Whiteside missed a couple of weeks earlier this year, and the team lost Dion Waiters to a season-ending injury. If the Heat cannot sustain the good level of play, they might not only pursue win-motivated trades. They also have a very high payroll for next season and shedding away some salary might benefit their pockets.

For example, guard Wayne Ellington has helped the Heat remain relevant amid all the injuries. He is in a contract year and one can only believe the Heat are willing to re-sign him. Ellington, logically, should look to get as big of a paycheck as he can with how good he has been playing. But Miami may be unable to provide him a wealthy enough contract if they do not shed away other big salaries. The 11 players under contract with the Heat for next year are due $119.1 million. That is over $18 million above the projected salary cap.

We are still 11 days away from the deadline. Keeping a close eye on Miami's performance until then might reveal what their next move is.