Miami coach Pat Riley declared before the season started that the Heat were in rebuilding mode. Everyone pointed to the Summer of 2003 as when the Heat would use their massive cap room to sign the big-name free agents needed to get themselves back on track. Israel Gutierrez of the Miami Herald reports that it may not be that easy.

He estimates that the Heat may have only $6 million in cap space to work with this Summer. Not enough to make a dent in the free agent market. In order to have the money to turn the team around, they will have to deal Brian Grant and/or Eddie Jones. Both Grant and Jones entered this season, their third with the Heat, knowing the organization's No. 1 priority was to have cap room for 2003-04.

Grant accepts the business of the NBA.

''My philosophy changed after a couple years,'' Grant said. ``You go out there and do everything that they ask me to do, first of all. Then there are other things you know you've got to do extra. And if you do that and look at yourself in the mirror, you've just got to know that you did all that you can do. You can do all that and still get traded.''

Jones is taking a similar approach.

''I don't really care,'' Jones said. ``The only thing you can control is what you can do on the court. If it happens, it happens. So what. That's my attitude.''

With big-money contracts that run through the 2007 season, neither player will be easy to deal. Riley has denied a couple of rumors involving his stars, but they are being shopped. ''They're out there,'' one Eastern Conference general manager said. ``And it's pretty clear to most that [the Heat is] looking for less years in return.''

But is there much interest in either player?

''No,'' the GM said. ``Other teams are probably thinking in the same terms as Miami, so they won't take on either of those salaries. The good teams already have quality players at those positions or don't want to pay that much for role players.''