Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel reports: On friday morning, Magic forward Grant Hill told the Orlando Sentinel that he definitely will miss the rest of the season, and that surgery on his troubled left ankle still is a possibility.

"I feel confident in the direction we're going," Hill said, "but it's safe to say I'm out for the year and the playoffs."

Hill last played on January 16th against the Washington Wizards.

Since then, he has been on crutches and doctors have found a crack in his ankle, which is believed to be the source of the pain.

Hill insists he is not done yet, despite playing in only 47 games over the past three seasons.

Hill said he'll be back next season. "I'm not done," he said. "I'm not throwing it in."

However, Coach Doc Rivers and GM John Gabriel didn't sound optimistic about him playing again.

"In all likelihood, even if he could comeback and be cleared [to play] it would be very difficult.. . . you never say never said Rivers."

Rivers also said he wonders how much longer Hill can deal with the injury and setbacks psychologically, saying, "At some point, does the game just stop being fun for him?"

Magic GM John Gabriel sounded even less optimistic about a possible Hill return.

"We're just clearly running out of time and number of games to make that a reality," General Manager John Gabriel said.

Still, Gabriel is willing to give it another shot.

"If Grant's willing to hang in, God knows we are."

Hill says his Duke doctors believe his left leg is not aligned correctly, a result of the ankle not having healed properly after his first surgery in the spring of 2000.

One procedure to fix the problem might require surgeons to break Hill's heel bone.

Hill admitted on Friday, while kidding McGrady about McGrady's new "Carolina baby blue" sports car, that, "If it hadn't been for my faith and my family I might have quit.

"All you can really do is look forward," he said. "It's been hard, Lord knows. . . . But I'm going to work my tail off and rest to get this thing right."