When the free-agent recruiting period began on July 1, the Milwaukee Bucks had one objective and that was to sign forward Anthony Mason, whom they had identified as the potential missing element to their title chase.

But as a small-market team with limited income, the Bucks also needed to keep their massive $54.3 million payroll flat. Any higher, they feared, and the franchise, already running a deficit from the previous season, would subject itself to further financial hardship with the new luxury tax.

As the summer wore on, it was becoming apparent to the Bucks that they could probably achieve one of the goals, but not both. Milwaukee Coach George Karl was lobbying hard to sign Mason while owner Herb Kohl's financial advisers were strongly recommending that the payroll not be increased.

The burden fell to Ernie Grunfeld, who eventually accomplished what the best general managers are paid to do: He made his coach and his owner happy.

"We were fortunate," Grunfeld said. "We were able to get a player of Mason's magnitude and keep our payroll basically the same."

Actually, Grunfeld and the front office were able to get Mason while lowering the payroll by about $200,000 to $54.1 million. That which once seemed improbable began to evolve into a reality on Oct. 21, when a late-night call to Grunfeld's River Hills home got him out of bed.