Dee Brown is temporarily trading in his usual seat in the southeast corner of the lower bowl of the TD Waterhouse Centre for one on the Orlando Magic's bench.

Brown, who joined the Magic front office as a special assistant to operations after retiring as a player last summer, was signed Tuesday to a 10-day contract to fill the roster spot created when Mike Miller went on the injured list with a sprained left ankle. He will be in uniform tonight when the Magic host the Phoenix Suns.

"Trust me, I had no intentions of coming back," said Brown, 33, who played in only seven regular-season games for them a year ago after tearing a quadriceps tendon in training camp. "Every time you saw me at the games, I was smiles because I was enjoying what I was doing. And I still do. But I enjoy playing also."

General manager John Gabriel approached Brown with the idea Sunday after the Magic's 92-79 victory over the Toronto Raptors. At first, Brown admitted, he thought Gabriel was kidding. But he worked out Monday, and that convinced Gabriel to take a chance on Brown -- rather than Chris Mullin or Todd Day -- giving the Magic a long-range shooting threat they'll be missing with Miller out at least another two weeks.

"I told Gabe I didn't know I was an archaelogist when I took this job," coach Doc Rivers joked. "I keep unearthing these fossils."

Brown is actually younger than Patrick Ewing (39) and Horace Grant (36) and five months younger than Darrell Armstrong. He's also 10 pounds lighter than when he spent almost all of last season on the injured list before being activated less than a month before the Magic's playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks.

"I know what I've got to do," he said. "I've just got to help the team win games. It's not about me. It's about me coming in and trying to help hold the fort until Mike Miller gets back."

Miller was off crutches for the first time Tuesday and said it may not be until next Tuesday or Wednesday before he is allowed back on the court. Without him, the Magic hit only five of their 21 3-point attempts against the Raptors.

Brown made 604 3-pointers during an 11-year career that began in Boston and took him to Toronto before coming to Orlando.

"That doesn't mean we'll use him or need him," Rivers said. "But it's good to have him."