The qualifying offer, worth $945,610, has been on the table since June 29. As of July 23, it could not be withdrawn without the agreement of both Miles and the Jazz. But if Miles does not sign by today, the conditions of the offer will change.

Effective Oct. 2, the Jazz would be able to withdraw the offer on their own, which potentially could leave Miles without any guaranteed money. Miles still would be a restricted free agent and the Jazz would be able to match an offer sheet he signed elsewhere.

Facing that scenario, Miles is expected to accept the qualifying offer and be on the court for the season's first practice Tuesday. If Miles does not sign, the Jazz will not bring him to Boise and try to reach agreement on a contract while he sits and waits.

Although they did not sign Miles to a multi-year contract, the Jazz say not to make the mistake of thinking he is not wanted by the team.

They point to the 42.4 percent raise the qualifying offer represents from what Miles made last season as well as their reluctance to entertain trade offers from other teams for the 20-year-old guard.

Kevin O'Connor, the Jazz's senior vice president of basketball operations, was asked if the team had communicated to Miles that he was still valued in Utah.

"We sat down and told him before July 1,'' O'Connor said, "when we had a choice whether to keep him for the year or not and we decided to keep him for this year."

Several restricted free agents around the league were still unsigned leading into the final hours before camp, including Cleveland's Anderson Varejao and Sasha Pavlovic, and Golden State's Mickael Pietrus.

O'Connor said he thought the Jazz were no different in waiting all summer to get a deal done with Miles. "We all seem, in this business, when there's a time restraint to make deals, we go up until the last minute to do them,'' O'Connor said.

Neither Miles, who has been in Salt Lake City for the past week, nor his agent, Billy Ceisler, returned multiple calls Sunday. Miles is one of four candidates (along with Gordan Giricek, Ronnie Brewer and Morris Almond) to start at shooting guard for the Jazz this season.

Should he sign the qualifying offer, Miles would be a restricted free agent again next summer. But the Jazz would not be able to trade him without his approval.

rsiler@sltrib.com