A three-month pursuit to fill what they think is the missing piece to a possible championship season came to a conclusion late Thursday afternoon for the Milwaukee Bucks when they signed all-star forward Anthony Mason to a four-year deal worth almost $21 million.

Mason, 34, signed his contract in Milwaukee and then joined general manager Ernie Grunfeld on a commercial flight to Los Angeles, where the Bucks were playing the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in an exhibition game Thursday night.

A year after the Bucks came within a victory of the NBA Finals, the 6-foot-8, 260-pound Mason is expected to provide the perimeter-heavy team with all the elements it lacked last season: defense, rebounding, inside scoring and, perhaps above all, toughness.

"We're thrilled about it," Grunfeld said. "Anthony adds several different dimensions to our team. He is a low-post presence with ball-handling skills. He's a very good rebounder and a post defender. And he's a terrific passer for a man his size. But the thing we like most about him is that he is a fierce competitor.

"This is another piece of the puzzle. He fits in well with our ballclub with the elements he brings. Bringing in a good passer with all the shooters we have, that's a good combination. And let's not forget, he's coming off an all-star season."