The Indiana Pacers could be a day late and a few million dollars short in the Brad Miller sweepstakes.

Miller on Friday met with officials from the Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets, teams that have more money to pay the free-agent center than the Pacers.

"If they throw a big number at him, it could be over," Pacers Sports & Entertainment CEO Donnie Walsh acknowledged Friday.

Denver appears to be the most serious threat to the Pacers re-signing the All-Star, given its combination of $10 million available and promising young nucleus.

The Pacers, meanwhile, face a cash crunch that must be alleviated before they can make a competitive offer. Miller, who made $5.3 million last season, is seeking a substantial raise.

Indiana on Wednesday signed Jermaine O'Neal to a $126 million contract and also wants to re-sign veteran guard Reggie Miller without surpassing the luxury-tax threshold. It has about $7 million available and is exploring ways of unloading salaries to free up more money.

President of basketball operations Larry Bird said he's confident that can be done.

"It's not a major concern. It just takes time," he said.

One option for the Pacers is to trade for Portland's Arvydas Sabonis, the veteran center who plans to retire. Most of Sabonis' $7 million salary next season is not guaranteed and he could be released without it counting against the luxury tax.