That's a good thing, since it means they have created options they can explore to further mold their team for next season.

"The key word is 'options,' " said coach Scott Skiles. "We have options and opportunities. Any options that we have, we'll look at them now. When you gain the ability to have some options, the phone starts ringing a little bit."

Said general manager John Hammond, "People know that we have options now and that we could actually have realistic discussions about our roster and how we could improve our roster."

The Bucks took a first step by trading veteran forward Richard Jefferson to San Antonio in a three-team deal that also involved Detroit and brought them forwards Bruce Bowen, Kurt Thomas and Amir Johnson. Through the draft the Bucks added guards Brandon Jennings and Jodie Meeks.

Jennings has an excellent opportunity to step into a starting role at point guard, and the Bucks speak highly of the raw 6-foot-9 Johnson, who started 24 games for Detroit last season. While the Pistons apparently gave up on Johnson, he is a young, athletic shot-blocker - something the Bucks lack - with plenty of potential. The challenge for Skiles and his staff will be to cultivate that potential.

"Amir has an opportunity to help us," said Hammond. "He can do some things that some of the guys on our team can't do."

The rugged Thomas can add some toughness to one of the softer teams in the league. While it doesn't appear at this point that Bowen will be a part of the team, he does provide some of those coveted options. He could be a piece in a trade with a team looking for a veteran forward with championship experience, or could provide some additional financial flexibility if he is waived, since only half of his $4 million salary is guaranteed. Or, he may just decide to retire.

The next step for the Bucks will be dealing with restricted free agents Ramon Sessions, Ersan Ilyasova and Charlie Villanueva this week. The Bucks are expected to make qualifying offers to Sessions and Ilyasova, which will allow them to retain their rights, but Villanueva does not appear to factor into their plans.

While there was an upside to the Bucks' recent maneuverings, they were left with some issues to deal with also.

First and foremost is who is going to score? High-scoring guard Michael Redd is expected to be back at 100% after having major knee surgery, but Jefferson (19.6 points) and Villanueva (16.2) were the team's second- and third-leading scorers last season.

"I'm not (concerned right now) because we're in June," said Skiles. "I don't think you can ride that wave of looking four months in advance. You always have to have a concern what your roster is looking like. But we'll see as we keep moving on this summer and what opportunities we have."

The Jefferson trade also left a gaping hole at small forward. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute could start there, but Skiles liked for bringing him off the bench last season. One player who should be ecstatic about the Jefferson trade is last year's first-round pick, Joe Alexander, who would have a huge opportunity for some playing time if he upgrades his game this summer. Alexander has been working out regularly at the team's training facility and will play on the summer team.

"It depends on what Joe does," said Skiles. "Joe's been in here working very hard every day. We've got rookie league coming up. He'll play in that and I think there will be noticeable improvement in his game. There are no promises in any of this. As we look on paper, there's opportunities for people to step into that spot."

How it all translates into victories and defeats next season remains to be seen. Much will depend on how Redd and center Andrew Bogut come back from major injuries, what other moves the Bucks make this summer and how the new pieces fit together.

It's entirely possible the Bucks may have to take a step back before next season before they move forward. But the important thing is that Hammond and Skiles have a long-term plan and every move they make is with that in mind. The intent is to give themselves enough opportunities and flexibility to make roster moves that will turn the team into a consistent winner down the road.

Hammond says that the Bucks aren't done. There were a couple draft-related rumors involving point guard Luke Ridnour, who is entering the final season of a $6.5 million contract. The drafting of Jennings reinforces the notion that Ridnour will be a bargaining chip.

But the main thing for the Bucks as they move on is that the phones are ringing again.

"It's fun to be involved in these opportunities," said Hammond. "We had numerous (draft-related) phone calls from teams talking about some of our players, especially some of our expiring pieces, and I think those are opportunities to maybe improve our team.

"The step-by-step theory is right for us. If we can present ourselves with something that might help us, we would sure look to do that."

Bucks ROSTER

Player Pos Exp.

Joe Alexander F 1

Malik Allen F 8

Charlie Bell G 5

Andrew Bogut C 4

Bruce Bowen F 12

Francisco Elson C-F 6

Dan Gadzuric C 7

Brandon Jennings* G R

Amir Johnson F 3

Luc Mbah a Moute F 1

Jodie Meeks* G R

Michael Redd G 9

Luke Ridnour G 6

Ramon Sessions# G 2

Salim Stoudamire G 3

Kurt Thomas F 13

Charlie Villanueva # F 4

* Unsigned draft pick

# Restricted free agent

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