(My Sportsbook) - George Karl proved his fondness for Gary Payton on Thursday by acquiring the star point guard in a league-rattling trade that got in just before the deadline.

Milwaukee acquired Payton and swingman Desmond Mason from the Seattle SuperSonics, but had to part with its best player, guard Ray Allen, along with guards Kevin Ollie and Ronald Murray and a conditional first round pick in the 2003 draft.

There is no question that Payton is the second-best point guard in the NBA behind Jason Kidd, but the impact he'll have on this team is a bit uncertain.

Sam Cassell, who has been the team's point guard since 1999, is still on the roster, which means the 6-3 guard will likely be shifting to the shooting guard position. But Cassell should feel comfortable with the move, as he's averaging 19.5 points and 14.9 field-goal attempts per game this season.

With Payton and Cassell in the same backcourt, the Bucks are poised to be an offensive juggernaut in the East.

And if that plan doesn't work out, the Bucks can always have Cassell come off the bench and start the much-improved Michael Redd at shooting guard. Redd is averaging 15.0 points per game this season, while shooting 48 percent from the floor.

However, the Bucks appear to be fixing something that isn't broken. The backcourt of Milwaukee hasn't been a problem for some time now, while the frontcourt has been their Achilles' heel over the past few years. Joel Przybilla, Ervin Johnson and Dan Gadzuric just aren't cutting it in the pivot this season. The Bucks are currently the second-worst rebounding team in the NBA, pulling down 40.1 per game.

Payton's experience combined with his leadership qualities now make the Bucks a threat to go deep into the Eastern Conference playoffs this season. But Karl, who coached "The Glove" in Seattle from 1991-98, seems intent on re- signing Payton when his contract is up after the season.

The 34-year-old Payton has at least three solid years left in him. However, the 27-year-old Allen is one of the top five shooting guards in the league and is only going to get better. Shipping off a player of Allen's caliber will come back to haunt Milwaukee in the long term.

The wild card in the deal could be the budding Mason. The former dunk contest champ continues to provide energy off the bench in his third NBA season. He is averaging 14.1 points and 6.4 rebounds this year.

The Bucks, who have dropped three straight, play the third of a four-game road trip Friday against, of all teams, the Sonics.