Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr has been heavily linked to the New Orleans Saints this offseason, but the franchise isn't keen on bringing him in on his current contract because of the money he's guaranteed.

Carr is due $40.4 million in guarantees on Wednesday, and the Raiders must cut or trade him to avoid paying him those guarantees.

The Saints are interested in the veteran signal-caller, but they want to lower the guarantees on his contract, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Feb. 9 that the Raiders and Saints "already have the framework" of a Carr trade in place. However, the veteran has a no-trade clause on his contract and can determine whether or not he would be willing to lower his guarantees for a move to the Big Easy.

The Raiders signaled they would be moving on from Carr when they benched him for backup Jarrett Stidham for the final two games of the 2022 regular season. If he's not traded, he will more than likely be cut.

If Las Vegas cuts Carr by Wednesday, it will avoid paying him the $40.4 million in guarantees. It will also save $29.3 million in 2023, per Spotrac. However, the franchise will still take on $5.6 million in dead cap next season.

Carr visited with the Saints earlier this week and New Orleans is considered the front-runner for the veteran signal-caller.

The 31-year-old has a prior relationship with head coach Dennis Allen, who was the Raiders head coach in 2014 when the franchise drafted him, so it should come as no surprise that New Orleans is a big player for the veteran.

The Saints finished the 2022 campaign with a 7-10 record and have been searching for a quarterback since Drew Brees retired following the 2020 campaign.

During the 2022 season, the team relied on Andy Dalton and Jameis Winston under center. In 2021, Winston, Taysom Hill, Trevor Siemian and Ian Book saw time at quarterback. None found much success.

Carr, a four-time Pro Bowler, would be a significant upgrade at the position for the Saints.

During the 2022 season, he completed 60.8 percent of his passes for 3,522 yards and 24 touchdowns against 14 interceptions in 15 games. It wasn't his best year, but the entire Raiders team struggled under new head coach Josh McDaniels.