It could be incredibly simple for the Indiana Pacers. They offer contracts to their three primary free agents, all of whom claim to prefer to stay with them, and it's over.

Or it could grow scarily complicated. It all seems to hinge on Jermaine O'Neal.

NBA teams can begin negotiating with free agents and discussing trades on Tuesday. They can begin executing transactions on July 16. The two-week interim figures to be a hyperactive period of teams recruiting players, negotiating with agents and discussing trades with one another.

For the Pacers, the first order of business will be to retain O'Neal, Reggie Miller and Brad Miller. All are current or former All-Stars whom they consider essential to their plan for rebuilding a contending team.

"We've committed to building a style of team and play that over the last three years has shown steady improvement," coach Isiah Thomas said. "It's important we continue to keep moving in that direction. When you develop players, when they become what they are, it's important that you keep them."

O'Neal will be the primary focus because of what he means to them and the interest he could generate from other teams. His decision also could be the key to retaining Brad Miller, who stated after the season that he wanted to see what O'Neal does before making a decision.