NBA commissioner David Stern is confident that the Pacers will remain in Indianapolis, but he stopped short of saying that he is certain they will.

The Pacers have the right to renegotiate their Conseco Fieldhouse lease after this season, and have plans to do so.

The team has reportedly lost $7 million the past two season, but owner Herb Simon hinted last month that the amount was higher.

"I don't want to make Herb Simon's time too easy here, but I will say I understand what they're trying to get is a small fraction of what was done for the Colts," Stern said Saturday night.

The Colts receive all advertising revenue and a portion of revenue from all other events at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The Simons pay the cost for operating Conseco Fieldhouse, estimated at $15 million. The Capital Improvement Board pays the operating costs for Lucas Oil Stadium, which it says were $27.2 million in 2008.

"I don't want to threaten something," Stern said. "I think that to say there's a rich basketball tradition in Indiana -- talk about self-evident -- and the Pacers have been a good booster of the state, played some pretty good ball and hopefully they'll be able to work it out. I sure hope they can."