The playoff-hopeful Milwaukee Bucks had history on their side when they decided last week to go into this season with veterans Jamaal Magloire and Joe Smith in the starting lineup and rookie Andrew Bogut coming in off the bench.

Coach Terry Stotts said that Smith, if healthy, would start at power forward with Magloire starting at center. Bogut, who started all eight exhibition games at center, will play a reserve role. The Bucks are hoping that starting a veteran lineup will be beneficial to them in their quest for a playoff spot.

In deciding not to start Bogut, the Bucks were mindful of the fact that dating back to 1986, only three of the 19 players who were selected No. 1 overall in the draft, led their teams into the playoffs in their first season. Of those 19 players, only eight led their teams into the playoffs in their second season.

"History shows that overall, No. 1 draft picks don't necessarily lead teams to playoffs," Stotts said. "As a matter of fact, it's quite the opposite."

Former Milwaukee Bucks forward Desmond Mason attempted to shed more light on the bitterness he felt over being traded to the New Orleans / Oklahoma City Hornets earlier this week by revealing Friday that over the summer he and his agent had asked the Bucks to trade him, only to be denied.

"This summer, looking at the scenario of how things were playing out . . . we had asked to be moved," Mason told the Journal Sentinel Friday. "We thought it would be in the best of everybody's interest."

Mason was traded Wednesday, along with a first-round draft choice and cash, for center Jamaal Magloire, who is expected to be introduced today at a news conference.

Mason said his agent, Roger Montgomery, told the Bucks that they wanted a trade about the time the Bucks were in the process of signing free agent Bobby Simmons to a $47 million contract in August. Mason and Simmons both play the small-forward position.

According to Mason, general manager Larry Harris at first gave his approval to Mason to seek a trade. But then when other teams called to inquire about a deal, the Bucks expressed no interest.

"We asked to start talking to somebody else," Mason said. "Larry and all those guys gave us permission to talk. There were a few teams that were interested. They called and Larry denied them."

The Bucks apparently believe T.J. Ford is completely recovered from a scary injury.

The Bucks on Friday exercised their fourth-year option on the guard, who suffered a spinal cord bruise late in his rookie 2003-04 season that caused him to miss all of last campaign.

Ford, who is to earn just over $2.3 million this season, will receive slightly less than $2.93 million for the 2006-07 season.

"T.J. is a dynamic player and a key to our success going forward," Bucks general manager Larry Harris said. "He has worked tirelessly to get himself back on the court and demonstrated in the preseason that he's ready to help lead our team."

The 22-year-old Ford, who underwent cervical spine surgery in May 2004 and was given clearance to resume playing just four months ago, has averaged 14.8 points and 5.8 assists in six preseason games.

"What I've seen from T.J. in games and practices during training camp is the only T.J. I know," first-year Bucks coach Terry Stotts said. "He has a terrific attitude and understanding of the game for being such a young player in the league. I'm excited to watch him continue to develop both on and off the floor."

After learning that he had been traded to the New Orleans / Oklahoma City Hornets, a trade that brought 6-foot-11 center Jamaal Magloire to the Milwaukee Bucks, Desmond Mason was not at a loss for words.

Mason, who played for two-plus seasons in Milwaukee, focused his anger on Bucks general manager Larry Harris and owner Herb Kohl in a radio interview aired on WAUK-AM (1510).

Mason called Harris "a snake in the grass" and said he "flat out lied to my face" about the chances of being traded, even after the Bucks signed free-agent forward Bobby Simmons during the summer.

After the Bucks' practice Thursday, Harris said the deal came together quickly early this week, after the general manager had a Pfister Hotel coffee shop session with Sen. Kohl on Monday morning. Harris had become concerned about the Bucks' depth at power forward and center, but he denied he was shopping Mason to other teams.

"Certainly, no one wants to be called that," Harris said of the "snake in the grass" comment. "All I can say is I know he has a great passion for Milwaukee. It was a shock to him when I phoned him, I knew that.

"Obviously, he's a very emotional young man. It's the nature of the beast, and we move on."

The Milwaukee Bucks have requested waivers on guard Andre Barrett and forward Tommy Smith, General Manager Larry Harris announced today.

Barrett, 23, appeared in eight preseason contests and averaged 4.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists per contest.

Smith, 24, played in eight preseason games and averaged 3.0 points and 2.5 rebounds.

The Bucks roster now stands at 15 players.

The Milwaukee Bucks continued to aggressively reshape their roster Wednesday by beating out several teams to acquire New Orleans/Oklahoma City center Jamaal Magloire, according to NBA front-office sources.

In a trade that will be announced later Wednesday, Milwaukee has agreed to send swingman Desmond Mason, its 2006 first-round pick and cash considerations to the Hornets for Magloire, an East All-Star in 2004.

The Bucks, according to sources, felt they needed a more physical presence on their front line to aid the development of No. 1 overall pick Andrew Bogut and the recently re-signed Dan Gadzuric.

Given Milwaukee's logjam of swingmen after retaining Michael Redd, trading for Jiri Welsch and signing Bobby Simmons, a trade involving Mason between now and the February deadline was somewhat inevitable. This one gives the Bucks an opportunity to play Magloire and Bogut together, with Simmons starting at the other forward spot. The Bucks also have Gadzuric and Joe Smith in what suddenly looks like a well-rounded frontcourt rotation.

The Hornets have been shopping Magloire for months as part of their own makeover, which accelerated in February when Baron Davis, another former All-Star, was dealt to Golden State.

The Bucks waived Brandon Hunter, less than a month after signing the forward.

Hunter appeared in five preseason games, averaging 1.2 points and 1.4 rebounds in limited action.

Selected by Boston in the second round of the 2003 draft, Hunter was picked in the expansion draft by the Charlotte Bobcats the following year and traded to Orlando at the start of the 2004-05 season.

Mo Williams is happy to be getting some playing time at the shooting guard position for the Milwaukee Bucks.

While he is on the court at the "2 guard" spot alongside starting point guard T.J. Ford, Williams definitely is not playing second fiddle.

"I think it's always nice when you can have multiple ball-handlers and multiple passers, because it gives you a little more flexibility," coach Terry Stotts said Saturday before his team's 89-85 exhibition loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Bradley Center.

Williams and Ford played in tandem for the first time in the Bucks' victory over Detroit on Wednesday night. It's a look Stotts could employ at times during the regular season, depending on matchups.

"Hopefully we can get out and run," said Williams, the third-year pro who started 80 games at point guard for the Bucks last season, when Ford was out with a spinal cord injury. "If we keep getting production out of that lineup, coach will keep going to it."

The 6-foot-1 Williams said he had some experience with a two point-guard lineup during his rookie season in Utah, when coach Jerry Sloan sometimes used Williams and Raul Lopez together.

"We played a lot together, and it was effective," Williams said.

Bucks center Andrew Bogut insists he is going to be coming off the bench, yet he has started every game during the preseason and entered Wednesday averaging 7.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while playing 24 minutes a contest, according to the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

"People expect me to put up 20 points and 10 rebounds per game," Bogut said. "But like I said, I am going to come in off the bench as a backup. It's not going to be like it was at Utah. I just want to be the best rebounder and take care of what I can control."

T.J. Ford scored 17 points in his first game in over 1? years to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 91-89 exhibition win Saturday night over the Cleveland Cavaliers, who played without All-Star forward LeBron James.

Ford had been sidelined since suffering a spinal cord injury during a game against Minnesota on Feb. 24, 2004. He missed the first two preseason games with a sprained left index finger.

Ford started and had 12 points, two assists, three steals and four turnovers before heading to the bench with 9:27 left in the second quarter.