Whereas the medical news Eddy Curry has received lately has been positive, there has been no encouraging news for the Bulls center when it comes to a long-term contract.

Curry probably will have to settle for a short-term deal that includes clauses to protect the Bulls--or any team that signs him as a restricted free agent--if his heart condition prohibits him from fulfilling his contract. Just a month ago, it was believed Curry could command a salary of about $67 million over six years with the Bulls.

Since then, Bulls officials have been notified Trustmark, the NBA's carrier, will exclude Curry's heart issues from insurance coverage, a team source confirmed Tuesday.

Now it's up to Curry's agent, Leon Rose, and his financial advisers to seek insurance coverage for the 22-year-old. Efforts to reach Curry and Rose were unsuccessful.

The NBA's policy allows the Bulls or Curry to find an alternative carrier, but the chances of finding a company that would assume the liability appear bleak.

"He can get insurance," said Jim Padilla, an independent insurance broker from New Lenox who has worked with athletes. "He just can't get his heart included. They're going to exclude [it] until he can prove he can play without heart issues."

Padilla said Curry probably needs to play a season without symptoms related to his irregular heartbeat before a company will drop the exclusion.