While Mike James will officially be in the Milwaukee Bucks' fold soon, Damon Jones will officially be leaving it shortly.

The Bucks have reached a verbal agreement with James, who was a backup guard on the champion Detroit Pistons, and should have him under contract as soon as today.

James, 29, played in 81 regular-season games last season with Boston and Detroit. He averaged 9.3 points and 4.2 assists in 27.1 minutes a game.

The 6-foot-2 James was courted throughout free agency by nearly a dozen teams. He narrowed his final list to Houston, Seattle, Miami and Milwaukee.

"I like his game,'' Cleveland Cavaliers coach Paul Silas said of James. "He can push it up the court, and he's a very good long-range shooter. I think he's just exploring his game, just scratching the surface."