Israel Guiterrez of the Miami Herald reports that the Heat are prepared for a training camp battle to determine the stating point guard position. They have five similar players all working to be named the starter.

No other position will see this much competition during the next month, with Travis Best, Anthony Carter, Mike James, Eddie House and Khalid El-Amin all contending for court time. And that's just what Riley had in mind when he loaded up with point guards heading into camp.

''It's going to be a wild month,'' Riley said. ``That's what I want. I want it wide open, and the last man standing, the best man standing, the guy that helps the team function the best in our style of play is the guy who will start. But there is no guarantee for any of them.''

It is assumed that Best will have a slight head start even though he is currently hampered by a minor calf injury that will limit his participation when camp begins. Although Riley doesn't want to award any of the five a job yet, he did provide a minor hint that Best will be his main man. ''I think he's a hell of a player and can play the game specifically for a certain game that we want to play,'' Riley said.

Best?s quickness and shooting ability should help him perform well in the up-tempo, perimeter game Riley plans to play. Carter can run and play an up-tempo game and is healthy, but his shooting is suspect. James was impressive in the summer leagues, but is just a rookie. House will likely get more time as the shooting guard. El Amin is a longshot who will have to impress Riley just to get a spot on the roster.

For these five, surviving the next month will be a victory in itself. ''They're going to have they're hands full,'' Riley said, ``because these kids are hungry . . . and they're ready to roll.''

The associated Press reports that the Miami Heat have filled out their training camp roster. They signed free agent point guard Khalid El-Amin and former draft pick Ken Johnson on Thursday.

The 5-foot-11 El-Amin was a second-round selection of the Chicago Bulls in the 2000 draft. He played in 50 games for Chicago in the 2000-01 season and averaged 6.3 points and 2.9 assists. He split time between the CBA and France. He will compete for a backup spot with Anthony Carter and Mike James behind expected starter Travis Best.

Johnson was Miami?s second round pick in the 2001 draft. He played in Italy and the CBA last season. He will compete with Vladimir Stepania, Sean Marks and Ernest Brown for time at center. Alonzo Mourning will miss at least the start of the season while battling kidney disease.

NBA.com reports that the Minnesota Timberwolves have added some veteran experience to their roster. Vice President of Basketball Operations Kevin McHale announced the team has signed veteran free agent Kendall Gill to a contract. Per team policy, no financial terms of the agreement were disclosed.

"Kendall gives us depth at a couple of positions," said McHale. "He is an athletic, veteran player who will help us on both ends of the court."

Gill averaged 5.7 points (.384 FG%, .677 FT%), 2.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 21.7 minutes per game in 65 contests (started 49) for the Miami Heat last season. He missed 16 gmaes with a broken pinky finger in November and December.  

In 12 NBA seasons, Gill has career averages of 14.2 points (.437 FG%, .301 3pt%, .753 FT%), 4.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.67 steals and 31.6 minutes per game.

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports that Eddie House will remain in Miami. He has decided to accept the Heat's one-year, $770,000 qualifying offer, agent Mark Bartelstein said Monday.

As a restricted free agent, the Heat would have had the opportunity to match if House had signed an offer sheet from another team. ''It's difficult being a restricted free agent,'' Bartelstein said. ``He's always wanted to stay down here.''

By signing the Heat?s qualifying offer, House will play in Miami for this season and become a restricted free agent again next summer.

In other Heat news, Khalid El-Amin is close to signing a partially guaranteed, two-year deal. He will probably have to beat out Mike James for a spot on the roster. Miami has also had preliminary conversations with Hornets restricted free agent, Lee Nailon.

Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel reports that the Heat have been denied in their bid to get salary cap relief for Alonzo Mourning. The NBA ruled the Heat is ineligible to receive a disabled player exception despite the deterioration of Alonzo Mourning's kidney illness.

An NBA spokesman said Wednesday that Mourning's illness is deemed to be the same as the one that sidelined the All-Star center for the first 69 games of the 2000-01 season and, therefore, that the league would not consider the waiver.

The disabled-player exception allows a team to replace a player who is expected to be sidelined for an entire season at either 50 percent of the player's salary or 108 percent of the league's average salary, whichever is less. Considering Mourning is to earn $20.6 million this season, the figure for the exception would have been about $4.5 million.

When Mourning was originally diagnosed with the kidney ailment, the Heat used the disabled player exception to acquire Cedric Ceballos during the 2000 season.

Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel reports that the Heat may get some financial relief from Alonzo Mourning?s kidney ailment. They will probably have to pay the luxury tax next summer, but an insurance policy will pay 80% of Mourning?s $20.6 million salary this season.

That means that roughly $16.5 million will be paid by the insurance company. This money will go a long way to help soften the blow of the dollar-for-dollar luxury tax and the loss of rebate funding by the NBA.

The Heat will also petition the league for a $4.5 million injury exception which could be used to acquire a replacement player. Their chances of receiving the exception are slim because they would have to prove Mourning's absence is due to a new illness that occurred after July 1.

Charlie Nobles of the New York Times reports that the Heat are officially "rebuilding". After the announcement of a relapse in Alonzo Mourning?s kidney disease, Heat coach Pat Riley admitted the team is in rebuilding mode.

"Today I can say for the first time in my seven years here that we're rebuilding," Riley said. "I never used that word. I always said something like, `We're in transition.' Or we were trying to apply Band-Aids. But it's here now."

The Heat could try to move Brian Grant over to the center position in Mourning?s absence, or they could use Vladimir Stepania, who showed some promise last season. Riley is certain of one thing: the roster will be filled with young players.

"You're going to look me in the eye and you're going to say: `What! Me with young players?' " Riley said. "Yes. I'm really going to be living and dying night in and night out with a bunch of hungry, humble young guys that don't know the first thing about professional basketball, but they're willing."

The Heat were given an injury exception two years ago when Mourning?s kidney ailment was first diagnosed. They used that exception to acquire Cedric Ceballos. Riley said the club hoped the league would grant another exemption for Mourning this season.

The Associated Press reports that Alonzo Mourning may have to sit out this season as his kidney condition deteriorates according to a source. The Heat released a statement confirming that Mourning would be sidelined indefinitely because "his chemistry levels have fallen below what his doctors feel is an acceptable level to play.''

Mourning, his agent and Heat coach Pat Riley declined to comment. The Heat said Riley would hold a news conference Friday to discuss the setback. The All-Star center definitely will miss the start of the season, said the source close to Mourning, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The Heat opener is Oct. 30.

Even with Mourning healthy, the Heat went 36-46 last season, and Riley missed the playoffs for the first time in his 20-year coaching career. Mourning is to make $20.6 million this season in the final year of a seven-year contract.

Mourning had been seeing a physician every two weeks for a checkup, and the latest round of tests apparently revealed a change in his condition. In a recent interview, Mourning said he hates going to the doctor. "I'm petrified,'' he said, "because I'm afraid of what they're going to tell me.''

Chris Tomasson of the Beacon-Journal reports that the Cleveland Cavaliers are working out the financial possibilities of adding Rod Strickland to their roster. They plan to determine by next week whether there's enough money in the budget to land free-agent point guard Rod Strickland.

According to Tomasson, The Cavs are close to their self-imposed spending limit of $50 million. If they release Harold Jamison and his partially-guaranteed salary they will have a team salary of about $48.9 million. That would leave only slightly more than the $1 million minimum for Strickland.

If Strickland is given $1.1 million, it all would count against the cap. If he is given the minimum $1 million, only $637,000 would count against the cap, with the NBA paying the rest.

``We've had meaningful discussions with Rod, and he has an interest in coming to Cleveland,'' Paxson said. ``But there are some financial things that would have to be worked out.''

Michael Hunt of the Milwaukee Journal-sentinel reports that the Bucks are concentrating on re-signing Michael Redd and finding a back-up point guard. Discussions with Pacers free agent point guard Kevin Ollie continue.

The Bucks need a backup for Sam Cassell because Rafer Alston has signed with the Golden State Warriors according to league sources. They were interested in Travis Best, but he signed with the Heat yesterday. Ollie has averaged 3.8 points and 2.4 assists during a career that has taken him to Dallas, Orlando, Sacramento, New Jersey, Chicago, Indiana and twice to Philadelphia.

If Ollie does not sign, the Bucks possibly could bring back Anthony. Otherwise, the choices for a backup point guard are slim, especially after Erick Strickland signed with the Pacers to push Ollie out of the picture in Indiana. Tim Hardaway and Mookie Blaylock are on the downsides of their careers.

Redd, who emerged last year during his second season with the Bucks, has yet to receive an offer from another team. The Bucks have the right to match any offer up to the mid-class exception of $4.5 million, therefore making it probable that Redd would return.

In a related article, the Journal Times reports that Ollie has in fact signed with the Bucks. He reportedly got a one-year deal worth approximately $800,000.