Whether it was omen or oddity, the first time the Bucks took the floor after trading Ray Allen to Seattle, they lost to the Sonics by 30 points and set a franchise record for offensive futility.

Gary Payton and Desmond Mason didn't suit up for Milwaukee in that game, and neither did Allen, Kevin Ollie or Ronald Murray dress for Seattle. But if the basketball gods were trying to send some sort of message, the lightning struck awfully close to the Bucks' locker room.

In dealing Allen, the Bucks were able to acquire one of the NBA's best all-time point guards. Payton has been named an All-Star nine times and been recognized on the league's All-Defensive team equally often. He's also 34 and in the final season of a multi-year contract, one that Seattle had very little chance of extending this summer.

Payton also plays point guard, a spot currently filled by the mercurial Sam Cassell in Milwaukee. Rumors of another proposed deal that would have sent Cassell to Broadway for Brew City native Latrell Sprewell at Thursday's deadline may explain why the Bucks are now short one starting shooting guard and heavy one point. GM Ernie Grunfeld denies the assertion. {INSERT_RELATED}

Head coach George Karl, of course, is a Payton fan, having coached him for nearly seven years in Seattle, and most pundits seem to agree the Bucks now deserve a mention as Eastern Conference title contenders, if only for another eight weeks.

Payton and Mason, an extremely athletic slasher, dunker and defender, provide the Bucks with some immediate defensive improvements -- though Milwaukee's problems on that end have always been more about effort than execution. It's the confusion each brings to what's left of Milwaukee's once explosive offense that concerns me.

Where there was once a Big Three, there are now the Seven Morphs. Seven, as in Cassell, Payton, Michael Redd, Tim Thomas, Desmond Mason, Anthony Mason and Toni Kukoc; morph as in metamorphosis, from good to bad, awesome to awful, hot to cold, happy to sad, satisfied to disgruntled, and any other bipolar combination that 28-27 teams tend to exhibit.

Who's the starting point guard? During his Saturday night Buck debut in Portland (a win), Payton shared the floor with Cassell for most of the night, and both looked fairly comfortable. But considering Cassell moaned after the team's Feb. 12 win over Dallas -- a game in which he hit the clinching shot in the final seconds -- because he didn't start the fourth quarter, it's hard to imagine a peaceful (or lengthy) coexistence.

And who's the shooting guard? Redd, ostensibly, who has proven his worth over the last two years and now faces his stiffest competition for the Sixth Man of the Year award from his own teammate. But Karl clearly loves Mason's athleticism, defensive skills and respectful demeanor, mentioning that Mason called him "sir" more times in their initial chat than the rest of the team has combined. Redd, however, has clearly earned first crack at the time freed by Allen's departure.

Mason's role also seems to conflict with that of Tim Thomas -- offensive spark and slasher extraordinaire. With Thomas' bloated salary a known issue, will Karl and short-time owner Herb Kohl really want to trim his minutes in order to give the younger Mason ample time? If they're ever to deal him, Thomas must continue to be showcased.

The possibilities are admittedly intriguing. Payton and Cassell combined for 17 assists in their first game, and Karl knows perfectly well that sharing the basketball is the Bucks' ultimate accomplishment. When they pass, they win. Now, they have two premier passers, both of whom can also score.

Mason and Redd could easily account for Allen's numbers. They combine to average nearly 30 a game now, and even with fewer minutes and the corresponding dip in production, there are probably 21.3 points and 4.6 rebounds between them somewhere.

Mason may be the not-so-hidden jewel in the deal -- he averaged 14.1 points and 6.4 boards in just his third season in Seattle. Both Redd and Desmond are also much cheaper than Allen, and if it's safe to assume that either Cassell or Payton will not be a Buck in 2003-04, then Kohl's bargaining position in a potential sale (see: lower overhead) is greatly enhanced as well.

It's difficult to analyze a major trade so soon, especially when two marquee players are involved. Payton was a Seattle icon, while Allen gave a "small" NBA city like Milwaukee a telegenic and telescopic star. While East Coasters and L.A. poseurs may not know Richie Sexson from Richie Sambora, Allen was a U.S. Olympian, a three-point shooting champ and a good guy for good measure. And he was ours.

Payton, obviously, is a star, too. But he's not "ours." He didn't bring the Bucks to the brink of the NBA Finals after a decade of futility. Allen, Glenn Robinson and Cassell did. Now, only Cassell remains -- and for how long? And if Cassell is around, Payton probably won't be.

The NBA is a business, of course, and the bottom line is winning. Payton and Mason may help the Bucks do that in the next couple months. Karl, Kohl and Grunfeld are banking on it. Of course, discussions involving the NBA Finals seem a little fantastic for a team that's 69-68 over the last season and two-thirds.

But after the playoffs, then what? The Bucks went through a lot of identity-less seasons before finally finding one -- and concurrent success -- over the last couple years. Both dissipated quickly, supplanted by similar styles and teams in Dallas, Sacramento and Indiana.

Thursday's trade was an overt admission that the previous identity wasn't working anymore. What's the new one? And will it be as successful as the last? Those are the questions Karl and Grunfeld are just beginning to answer.