The tight end is due a $3 million roster bonus on March 27 and there were rumblings during last season that the team was preparing to cut ties with him. If the Packers trade or release Finley, they would save $8.25 million.

He told ESPN that he hasn’t been contacted by the Packers about restructuring his contract, a two-year deal he signed with the team last offseason.

“The Packers are barely talking to me right now,” he told ESPN. “I know they’re just doing it the Packer way and playing it close to the vest.”

“I haven’t got a call. I haven’t got a text asking me to take a pay cut or to restructure my deal at this point — not at all,” he said.

If the Packers do contact him about reworking his contract, he made it clear he’d rather be released than have to take a pay cut.

“I’d have to walk for sure, meaning I couldn’t take a pay cut,” he told ESPN. “Maybe I’d restructure if it’s a deal that I like and it makes sense, but I’m not the guy that’s just going to sign anything and let anything pass.

“I’m not that guy. Other than that, taking a pay cut or restructuring doesn’t sound good to me at this time. I like my deal. I start training in Minneapolis [on Thursday] and I’m more inspired than ever to start next season off right and be the tight end I know I can be. It’s all business at the end of the day. I just love what I do.”

Finley, 25, had a bit of a disappointing season in 2012, catching 61 passes for 667 yards and two touchdowns. His agent also made waves last season when he questioned quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ leadership qualities.

He has 64 receptions for 2,485 yards and 17 TDs in three seasons.

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Howard was evaluated in Minneapolis by Lakers trainer Gary Vitti on Thursday and had been listed as day to day.

Howard suffered the injury midway through the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s 92-86 loss. The seven-time All-Star fell to the floor in pain after being blocked by Suns guard Shannon Brown with 6:57 remaining in the contest.

Howard checked out of the game and did not return as the Lakers squandered a 13-point lead. After icing his shoulder and applying kinesiology tape to the joint, Howard told reporters he was “real sore” and “hurting pretty bad.”

Although he acknowledged Wednesday that he may have to rest his shoulder, Howard had said he wanted to try to play against the Wolves.

“I’m going to try as much as I can, but I don’t want to cause more damage to my shoulder,” Howard said. “I don’t want to (miss any games), but we’ll see.”

When asked whether he would have to consider surgery to repair his shoulder, Howard replied, “Not right now.”

The 6-foot-11 Howard originally injured his shoulder on Jan. 4 against the Los Angeles Clippers and was forced to miss three games. He aggravated the injury last week against the Memphis Grizzlies and sat out the remainder of that contest, but did not miss any subsequent games.

Kobe Bryant said Wednesday that he has played through shoulder injuries in the past, and it will be an adjustment that Howard has to make.

“I’m not worried about it,” Bryant said. “It is going to be an all-season thing. That’s how those types of injuries are with the labrum. I’ve had them before. … It’s one of those things when you get banged like that going up, you’re going to get that stinging sensation. That’s just how it’s going to be.”

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