Grant Hill will undergo a third operation on his left ankle this morning that is expected to take him out for the rest of the season.

Magic General Manager John Gabriel made the grim announcement Tuesday after Hill consulted with four surgeons Monday night and decided this is his best option.

In a procedure that is expected to take about an hour in Baltimore, Dr. Mark Myerson will first remove bone spurs from the ankle, then attempt to reinforce the site of surgery Hill had last January that ended his first season with the Magic.

"I'm disappointed for the fans and my teammates," said Hill, who has played in only 18 of 106 regular-season games since signing a $9 million contract with the Magic. "Hopefully this will lead me down the road to recovery. I will continue to remain optimistic as I face this latest challenge."

The 29-year-old Hill broke his ankle while playing for the Detroit Pistons in the spring of 2000. He had surgery in May and signed a seven-year, $93 million contract with the Magic three months later.

His recovery from the surgery of last January appeared to be complete during training camp in October and as the season started. He was averaging 16.8 points and a team-leading 8.9 rebounds when the pain came back in a game at Charlotte on Nov. 23. He did not play the following night, took himself out of a game against the Pistons on Nov. 26 and hasn't played since.

Team Physician Dr. Joe Billings said bone spurs in the front of the ankle are causing pain, inflammation and swelling. Some thought was given to simply removing the spurs, which would have given Hill a chance of returning in six weeks or less. The plan instead is to drill several holes across the fracture site and pack them with proteins and enzymes to speed up the healing.

The Magic did not completely rule out Hill's return.

"We're saying no right now," said General Manager John Gabriel. "If it happens, that would be great. We're not going to rush him back if he's close."