INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indiana Pacers made efforts Tuesday to keep free-agent center Brad Miller as the All-Star weighed contract offers from Utah and Denver.

	Miller

"We're trying to figure out a way to get something done, but we're not there,'' Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh said.

Newspapers in Salt Lake City and Denver, both of which Miller visited over the weekend, have reported that Miller has six-year contract offers of $55 million from the Jazz and $49 million from the Nuggets.

He made $5.3 million last season with the Pacers.

The Jazz "made a nice offer from what I heard'' Pacers president Larry Bird said. "We'll have a hard time keeping him if that's what he's going for.''

Bird was in Salt Lake City for the Rocky Mountain Revue, where the Pacers played a summer league game Tuesday.

Jazz officials declined to comment.

Indiana, which last week re-signed free-agent forward Jermaine O'Neal to a seven-year contract worth more than $120 million, is only about $7 million short of the NBA's luxury tax threshold. Besides Brad Miller, the Pacers also are working to re-sign veteran guard Reggie Miller.

Pacers coach Isiah Thomas said he believed the Pacers were doing what they could to persuade the 7-foot Miller, considered the top free-agent center still available, to stay with the team.

"Clearly we don't want to lose Brad, but that's the system we're under if it happens,'' Thomas said.

A message seeking comment was left Tuesday at the office of Miller's agent, Mark Bartelstein.

Walsh said Monday he had little hope of retaining Miller.

"We've done everything we can do,'' Walsh told The Indianapolis Star. "We've had the whole franchise working on this for a long time. There's just no way to do it.''

Miller met with Jazz officials Thursday and Friday in Salt Lake City and later flew to Denver with Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe for further talks.

Miller, who went undrafted out of Purdue, averaged 13.1 points and 8.3 rebounds and made his first All-Star appearance last season. He was acquired in February 2002 from the Chicago Bulls in a seven-player deal.