After winning eight of their last nine regular-season games and after giving the eventual Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Nets a real scare in the playoffs, the Milwaukee Bucks seemed to be on the right track.

With some off-season tweaking, the Bucks figured to be as good as any team in the East next season. Now, they'll be as bad as any team in the East - or West. The Bucks aren't in shambles, but they're darn close.

They will likely open next season with a rookie - T.J. Ford - starting at point guard. They'll have a shooting guard who is a more of a small forward in Desmond Mason. They'll have an underachieving small forward in Tim Thomas and an even bigger underachiever at power forward in Joe Smith. Their starting center will be either Joel Przybilla or Dan Gadzuric, as if it matters.

If that isn't bad enough, they've just hired a coach - Terry Porter - who has never been a head coach at any level. Can you say lottery? Can you say No. 1 pick? Yes, it could be a bone-chilling winter for Bucks' fans.

But, again, it should have never come to this.

The Bucks could have avoided an inevitable free fall by simply giving Gary Payton the respect he warranted. Payton was, unequivocally, the Bucks' best player last season. He was the second-best point guard in the East behind New Jersey's Jason Kidd. Payton is a certifiable Hall of Famer.

But Payton made $13 million last season, and the Bucks weren't about to pay him that amount again. That was understandable. Payton is 34 and he also wanted a four-year deal. You can be sure the Bucks brass had nightmarish visions of Anthony Mason dancing in their heads. They weren't going to overpay another player. So what happens? They make a low-ball offer to Payton.

"It was slightly more than that,'' Aaron Goodwin, Payton's agent, told me when I asked if the Bucks offered around $8M per year to his client. "It was a lot less than he could have gotten from some other teams.'' Goodwin went on to say Payton had an offer from Portland for nearly $52 million - or $13M a season. The Miami Heat, Goodwin said, were prepared to offer Payton a $44M deal - or $11M a season. And the Indiana Pacers seriously considered giving Payton $40M - or $10M a season.

But all of these deals broke down for various reasons, including the Bucks' refusal to do some sign-and-trade arrangements. In the end, Payton signed with the L.A. Lakers. It wasn't about the money. Payton wanted to be on a title-contending team, which the Lakers certainly are.

But here's the kicker to this story: Payton still was prepared to stay with the Bucks. Contrary to all the disinformation you may have been fed by some other local sports columnists or read on your favorite Web Site, Payton's mind-set was to re-sign with the Bucks. Contrary to all those false reports, Payton didn't want to leave Milwaukee.