Desmond Mason to sign with the Milwaukee Bucks...

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Mason set to rejoin Bucks

BY GERY WOELFEL

LAS VEGAS -- Demond Mason is on the verge of becoming a Milwaukee Buck once again.

Mason, who played two-plus seasons for the Bucks before being traded to New Orleans two seasons ago, is close to signing a multi-year contract with the Bucks. The amount of the contract is unknown.

Word of Mason signing with the Bucks spread among NBA officials attending an NBA summer league here Saturday, and Bucks general manager Larry Harris acknowledged his talks with Roger Montgomery, Mason's agent, were positive.

"It sounds like a broken record, but I'm optimistic,'' Harris said in a telephone interview Sunday night. "We had some great discussions today.''

Montgomery echoed those sentiments.

"We're optimistic about getting a deal done,'' Montgomery said in a telephone interview from his home in San Antonio, Texas.

Montgomery declined to further discuss any other matters pertaining to the deal.

Mason, 29, was a highly-popular figure during his time with the Bucks. He is one of the league's most athletic and entertaining players. His biggest asset as a player, though, is his defensive abilities. The 6-foot-5 is capable of guarding shooting guards and small and big forwards.

Jimmy Eyen, a former Bucks and current Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach, said he regards Mason as one of the premier defenders in the game.

"He brings a lot to the table, especially with his defense,'' said Eyey, who was at the Las Vegas summer league. ''I consider him to be one of the best defensive players in the league.

"He plays hard every night; he brings it every game, and that's a big part of being a good defender.''

On a team that was arguably the worst defensive team in the NBA last season, Mason instantly igures to be the Bucks' best defender. But while Mason is held in high regard for his defense by league officials, he is also a competent offensive player.

Last season, in 75 games for the Hornets -- all starts -- Mason averaged 13.7 points. In his final season with the Bucks, Mason averaged 17.2 points a game.

"He's a high-energy player, a very athletic player,'' Eyen said. "He has the ability to attack the basket and that puts a lot of pressure on a defense.''

* While the Bucks are close to adding Mason, they may be close to losing Ersan Ilyasova.

Ilyasova told The Journal Times last month he was seriously considering offers from several teams in Europe, atlhoug his preference was to remain in the NBA with the Bucks.

There was a published report that Ilyasova has agreed to a two-year, $5 million with Barcelona in Spain. Harris confirmed Ilyasova was leaving the Bucks, but wasn't sure which European team he would join.

"Ersan went to Europe,'' Harris said. "I wasn't told the team he was going to.''

The 20-year-old Ilyasova showed much promise last season. He played in 66 games and started 14 of them. He averaged 6.1 points in 66 games. That came after he spent his first season playing for Tulsa in the D-League.


* While the Bucks may have lost Ilyasova, they are still attempting to re-sign two of their other free agents: guard Charlie Bell and power forward Brian Skinner.

* The Bucks played their last summer league game Sunday, losing 79-67 to the Washington Wizards. Second-year pro David Noel led the Bucks with 12 points but made just 4-of-12 shots from the field. The Bucks finished with a 2-3 record.

* The Bucks may take another step toward enhancing their relationship with Yi Jianlian, their No. 1 draft choice in the next couple of weeks. There has been talk that Harris and player personnel director Dave Babcock may fly to China to meet with the talented 7-footer, along with his family and officials of the Guangdong Ducks. ... Speaking of Yi, some league people believe Dan Fegan's day of representing Yi are numbered. The scuttlebutt in Las Vegas Sunday was that Chinese officials involved with Yi's situation are becoming increasingly unhappy with Fegan's role in not being able to get him placed with a team in a major market with a large Chinese population.


PG Mo Williams...Earl Boykins/Lynn Greer
SG Michael Redd...Desmond Mason/Ramon Sessions
SF Ruben Patterson...Bobby Simmons/David Noel
PF Charlie Villanueva...Yi Jianlian/Damir Markota
C Andrew Bogut...Dan Gadzuric/Brian Skinner



Possibly a lower playoff team in the east, if they can stay healthy...

[floatin_above_everything]

He never should have left Milwaukee in the first place, he was on his way to becoming a great scorer.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Dude's an underachiever...He had all-star potential.

[Sanford - V. President of the Dangerous Crew Movement]

thats lookin like a pretty good squad. 

[7even]

thats lookin like a pretty good squad. 

Many squads look pretty good, but somehow half of them always fail to make the playoffs 

I don't think they will go far... cause Yi Jianlian is going Virginia Tech on them if they don't trade him soon enough

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

^^Yi is highly overrated anyways...NBA flop, Wang Zhizhi, had a better summer league than him.

[thisoneguy360]

Mason's always been entertaining to watch, I miss having him in Seattle

[GangstaBoogy]

Milwaukee doesn't look that bad on paper but like you said, health will determine everything. And now that Boston and New York are actually possible playoff teams (in the East), the Bucks have more competition at the lower tier.

[Antonio_]

I've never really liked him. Great athlete, but horrible shooter, an low IQ.