The newest player on the Milwaukee Bucks roster, All-Star Gary Payton had his new team foaming at the mouth in his season debut, Payton instrumental in the clutch as the Bucks beat the Portland Trail Blazers by three on the road.

Payton teamed with fellow point guard Sam Cassell in a fourth quarter rally which saw the duo outscore the Blazers 18-5 over the final seven minutes to take the win.  Payton set up three baskets, drilled a clutch 3-pointer and smothered Derek Anderson's shot in the final seconds during the stretch and finished with 22 points and 9 assists in his 1,000th NBA game, which ironically was his first outside of a Sonics jersey.

While Payton was wowing the Bucks on the court, his off-the-court comments may have the team a little worried. According to a story in the Seattle Times Payton never asked to be dealt and seemed ambivalent about the trade.  "It's not a life sentence. It's 2? months,? said Payton.  ?That's it."

When asked if he planned to re-sign with Milwaukee, Payton was noncommittal.

"I don't know. We're going to get through this season, get into the summer and see what happens," he said. "That's all I can say on that."

Should Payton leave as a free agent the Bucks will have lost their All-Star, leader and Olympian for a 2 ? player rental, leaving them without a true franchise player and further behind the pack than their current seventh seeding the East.  Last season the Bucks were expected to come out of the East but failed to make the playoffs, and this season again they have performed below expectations.

Both Payton and teammate Desmond Mason, who was also traded to Milwaukee in the deal, felt they were betrayed by their former team.  Mason believed his future was secure in Seattle after performing strongly and being regarded as a future building block for the franchise.  As recently as a week ago, Mason was told he was part of the nucleus for the future, according to Seattle Post-Intelligencer writer Danny O?Neil, and the message the emphasized at various times by general manager Rick Sund, president Wally Walker and owner Howard Schultz.  Now Mason is in Milwaukee as a member of the Bucks.

"They told me a lot of things," Mason said. "Rick, Howard, Wally told me a lot of things. Just from the standpoint of what the future was going to be like. Who they wanted here, and what they wanted to happen with the franchise, the direction they were going, and I was really looking forward to it."

Payton also had some choice words for the Supersonics organization before his new team played the Blazers in Portland, attacking Sonics owner Howard Schultz and Sonics President Wally Walker as though they were opposition point guards.

After the trade Schultz questioned the Sonics? lack of leadership in the locker room, clearly talking about Payton.  Not surprisingly Payton was quick to respond.

"Howard talks and I really don't think he knows what he's talking about," Payton said. "He just talks. That's all he does. He's an owner and he just talks. I've been a leader for 13 years and he just took over the team two years ago and now he thinks he knows everything about basketball, and I really don't think he knows anything about basketball."

Payton also added that he wanted to play in the Bucks? game against Seattle to say thank you to the fans, but was told he was not allowed.

"I just can't wait to get back to Seattle and play," he said. "I bet (not playing) was part of the deal they made because they didn't want me playing. But I'm not gone. They think I'm dead or something, but I'm not. I've got to go back to Seattle and it's going to be something for them to pay for. Everything comes back around and I'll know, when I see them, I'll be ready for them."