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."