The Milwaukee Bucks plan to pursue their options for improvement this summer through the trade market, free agency and the college draft, but should nothing strike their fancy, they feel perfectly content to field the same team again next season.

That was a major part of the message that an upbeat coach George Karl relayed when he met with reporters for the first time since the team's final playoff loss to the New Jersey Nets.

"I believe in this team," Karl said. "Other than how we fit with Gary (Payton) and how we get that . . . with a year together, this could be a dangerous basketball team."

Said general manager Ernie Grunfeld: "The main thing we want to do in the off-season is to develop our young players and see what kind of options are out there."