Richard Jefferson wasn't exactly thrilled when he learned he was being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks.
It wasn't so much that he had any ill feelings towards the city, but more that he was disappointed to be leaving his team; the one where he spent all seven seasons -- save for a few hours after being drafted by Houston -- of his National Basketball Association career.
"It wasn't about Milwaukee," Jefferson said Monday at his introductory press conference. "I could have been traded to Boston, I could have been traded to L.A. There's not a place that I could have been traded to that I would have been happy."
The Nets, with whom Jefferson played seven seasons, missed the playoffs last season for the first time since 2001 and were in rebuilding mode after sending point guard Jason Kidd to Dallas at the trading deadline. Along with Kidd and Kenyon Martin, Jefferson formed the backbone of the team that went to the NBA Finals two years in a row.
Martin was shipped to Denver after the 2004 season. Even with the addition of Vince Carter, the Nets slipped to the middle of the pack in a weak Eastern Conference and eventually fell out of contention, leading to the Kidd trade and are now in rebuilding mode.
Jefferson had hoped to be a part of that effort, and was disappointed when the team pulled the trigger on the draft day deal that sent Milwaukee's Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons to New Jersey.
"I really don't think the Nets are going to be headed (to the playoffs) for the next couple years," Jefferson said. "I think this is a team that has great balance from the point guard position in Mo (Williams) to the bigs coming off the bench."
Last season was a difficult one for Jefferson, who couldn't remember ever missing the post season dating all the way back to his high school days. He thinks the Bucks have the right pieces in place to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2006.
It'll be a difficult task for a team that was just 26-56 last season and struggled with chemistry and consistency.
"I think only the first four or five spots are stuck for the playoffs, and we're going to be one of those teams fighting for those next few spots, and maybe we can move up even higher."
Jefferson has what Bucks general manager John Hammond and head coach Scott Skiles think is a well-rounded game. He says that he takes great pride in his defense -- something the Bucks have sorely lacked in recent years -- but that aspect of his game has drawn criticism in recent seasons.
That criticism was tough to swallow, but he thinks that playing alongside Michael Redd will help him improve on the defensive end of the court.
"That's probably going to be my focus now with a guy like Michael Redd," Jefferson said. "I don't think there's as much need for me to score 25 points a night. 'Hey, if you can go and stop their best player and give us 18, 19 or 20,' that's where I'd like to be."
