has not been an easy season for Kendall Gill, and the agony has taken a physical as well as an emotional toll.

Gill, 35, hasn't been able to play in two of the last three games because of cluster headaches. They cause debilitating pain and require strong medicine such as steroids. He has consulted specialists, but there's no effective way to prevent the condition.

Gill has been suffering the condition since he was young, but he was hoping the headaches were a thing of the past until he was poked in the eye during a game in Philadelphia on March 6.

''They started up again after that,'' he said. ''All of a sudden, they started recurring.

''That's where I am right now. I'm taking medication to try to break the cycle. They've worked a little, but not as much as I needed. Hopefully, they'll start working. You can't do anything when they hit. I'm just trying to take it easy.''

Gill will be a free agent this offseason, and says he wants to go out in a blaze of glory when that time does come.

''One thing for sure is I won't retire,'' he said. ''I still have a lot left in the tank. I haven't done what I wanted to do. I still haven't won yet. That's the name of the game. I want to go out on top.''

It's unlikely the Bulls will be on top anytime soon, which means Gill will have to land with another team. Before the Feb. 19 trade deadline, Gill said he would rather retire than be traded to another team other than the Lakers. So, he will have some decisions to make.