"As he played superbly down the Bulls' stretch run and throughout their epic playoff series with the Celtics last season, John Salmons always appeared to play with ease and economy.

So his approach shouldn't have surprised anyone when the Bulls traded him to the Central Division rival Bucks on Feb. 18.

"It's only an hour away, so I just packed myself up and drove up the road," Salmons said. "That helped me with the transition."

And Salmons' play has transformed the Bucks, providing consistent scoring to replace the loss of Michael Redd. Salmons entered Tuesday's game against his old team averaging 20 points in 24 games, and he has single-handedly won games with big plays.

In the Bucks' 79-74 victory over the Bulls, he led all scorers with 26 points.

"He has been great," Bucks coach Scott Skiles said. "He unbelievably has just fit right in. He has played good defense, scored for us, shot the ball well. He has made big plays for us. He makes free throws. All-around, he has been very, very good."

Salmons said the trade didn't surprise him and that following and facing his former team doesn't affect him."