With icepacks strapped to both of his tendinitis-ravaged knees, Orlando forward Horace Grant limped out of the arena following the Magic's morning practice Wednesday and stressed that he still plans to retire at season's end.

And he's recommending the same thing for his former teammate _ Michael Jordan.

Jordan, who has been bothered by knee pain all season and had surgery a month ago, announced Wednesday he was finished playing for the season. But Jordan, who might need further knee surgery this summer, has said repeatedly that he'd like to return next season.

"I know how bad I feel and I'm just 36 and he's 39," said Grant, who returned to the Magic's starting lineup after missing Sunday's victory against New York. "He's been averaging 34 minutes all season, and a guy up in his years like that it's just going to be difficult to last all year. Once he had the surgery this year I sort of thought the writing was on the wall for him."

Grant is hoping the Magic can lock up homecourt advantage in the next week so he can rest his knees prior to the playoffs. Grant scoffed at the notion that the Magic might be able to talk him out of retirement this summer. And he added he has no plans to undergo the same kind of knee surgery that Jordan is banking on to come back next season.

"Michael can get surgery and feel great early in the season," Grant predicted. "But 40 games into the season that fluid is going to come back into his knees and the tendinitis is going to come back. It's going to be difficult for him to make it through a full season."

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Magic coach Doc Rivers got to know Kenyon Martin during the Goodwill Games in Australia last summer and feels the New Jersey Nets forward isn't quite the dirty player he's been made out to be this season.

Martin has been suspended five times this season for flagrant fouls. In all, he's missed eight games because of suspensions. One of his nastiest fouls came in January when he clubbed Magic star Tracy McGrady in the head to prevent a layup. He was also suspended for clotheslining Karl Malone, elbowing Shareef Abdur-Rahim and hitting Eddy Curry with a shoulder.

"He's had a lot of dirty plays, but I don't think he's a dirty player," Rivers said. "He crosses the line at times but that's because of his emotions. He's not thinking about intentionally taking somebody out. He's thinking he wants to play physical and give hard fouls. He just needs to learn the difference between hard fouls and dirty fouls."

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Magic veteran small forward Jud Buechler was unhappy about being placed on the injured list so Orlando could sign Jaren Jackson. But Buechler was as unhappy with himself as anything.

He admitted he hasn't played well since coming to Orlando in a November trade with the Phoenix Suns. In 58 games with the Magic, Buechler has averaged 1.8 points and 1.7 rebounds. He is shooting just 38.3 percent from the floor and 37.3 percent from the 3-point line.

"I understand the nature of this business and I've been around long enough to know that if you don't get the job done there are plenty of guys out there who can play in the NBA," Buechler said. "The disappointment is with myself. I don't feel I've played the way I'm capable of playing. It's disappointing."

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Mike Miller was back in the starting lineup after coming off the bench the past two games. Miller missed three weeks with a deep bone bruise in his left ankle and is still struggling with his conditioning. Said Rivers: "I'm surprised by that. He's been riding the bike and working on the stairmaster. But that just proves that that's not like playing basketball. A lot of his shots are still coming up short because his legs just aren't there yet." . . . Magic general manager John Gabriel was in Virginia on Thursday scouting the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, while Gary Brokaw, the Magic's player personnel director, was at the McDonald's High School All-America Game in New York City's Madison Square Garden.