Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed guard/forward Carlos Delfino. The unrestricted free agent recently competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, averaging 15.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists with Argentina.

Delfino (6-6, 230, Argentina) has played in seven NBA seasons, averaging 7.7 points (.362, 520-1435 3FG), 3.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 440 career games (165 starts) with Detroit, Toronto and Milwaukee. His most productive years have come the past three seasons with the Bucks, where he has averaged 10.6 points, 4.5 boards, 2.5 assists and 1.32 steals in 30.4 minutes per outing over 178 games (159 starts). Delfino also connected on a career-best 134 3-pointers in 2009-10 and averaged 2.1 3-point field goals per game in 2010-11, which ranked fifth in the league.

Drafted by the Pistons with the 25th overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, Delfino spent three seasons with Detroit before joining the Raptors in a trade. He was acquired by Milwaukee along with Roko Ukic from Toronto in exchange for Amir Johnson and Sonny Weems on Aug. 18, 2009. In addition to the NBA, Delfino has played a key role on Argentina’s gold-medal-winning teams at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece and at the 2011 FIBA Americas Tournament. Delfino began his career internationally with Reggio Calabria (2000-02) and Skipper Bologna (2002-04). He also averaged 13.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 10 games with Khimki Moscow in the Russian Superleague in 2008-09.

Bucks point guard Brandon Jennings is hoping to have a contract extension in his pocket by the time the regular season opens on Nov. 2 in Boston.

Jennings is entering his fourth NBA season and is in line for an extension that could keep him with Milwaukee for four additional seasons.

But the 23-year-old had more than his contract on his mind during an interview Sunday morning at Homestead High School. Jennings was on hand to supervise a group of 200 youngsters on the second day of the Brandon Jennings Basketball ProCamp.

“It would be something I’d love to get done with and over with so I don’t have to worry about it,” Jennings said of the contract extension. “But the main thing is just to come into training camp a better player, a better leader … just lead the team to the playoffs.”

– Reported by Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

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A person with knowledge of the deal says the Houston Rockets have agreed to a one-year deal with Argentine forward Carlos Delfino.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been officially announced.

The 6-foot-6 Delfino played in the Olympics, where he helped Argentina finish fourth. Delfino averaged 15.3 points in London, where he was a teammate with former Rocket Luis Scola.

– Reported by the Associated Press

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed free-agent center Joel Przybilla (7-1, 255), General Manager John Hammond announced today.

Przybilla, 32, returns to Milwaukee for his second stint with the Bucks after beginning his career with the franchise. The ninth overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft by Houston, Przybilla was dealt to Milwaukee in a draft-night deal in exchange for Jason Collier and a future first-round pick. He would go on to play three-plus seasons with the Bucks, averaging 1.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 141 games. Pryzbilla left Milwaukee as part of a three-team trade in 2004 that sent him to Atlanta and Tim Thomas to New York in exchange for Keith Van Horn.

A 12-year veteran in the NBA, Przybilla has averaged 4.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 580 career games split between Milwaukee, Atlanta, Portland and Charlotte. Przybilla has made three playoff appearances during his career (2001 and 2003 with Milwaukee; 2009 with Portland), and owns career postseason averages of 2.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game.

Joel Przybilla is coming back to the Milwaukee Bucks.

The veteran 7-1 center, who had discussions with the Bucks last season, agreed to a one-year deal with Milwaukee on Monday night, according to a league source.

Przybilla, 32, gives the Bucks some depth at center and is expected to serve as the backup to Samuel Dalembert, acquired in a trade with Houston earlier this summer.

Przybilla, a former Monticello and Gophers star, was limited to 36 games during the 2010-’11 season (31 with Portland and five with Charlotte) after recovering from two surgeries on his right patella tendon.

– Reported by Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

China’s already slim chances in men’s basketball just took a serious blow when star forward Yi Jianlian went down with a knee injury.

Yi appeared to twist his right knee late in a loss to Australia on Thursday.

Yi had to be helped off the floor by teammates and he was still limping badly when the game was over.

– Reported by Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press

The BMO Harris Bradley Center board of directors and the Milwaukee Bucks have been discussing a new six-year lease that, if approved by the National Basketball Association, will provide stability for both sides as discussion continues over the possibility of a new, multi-purpose arena.

Details of the lease were not released. Information on an extended lease came from the minutes of the BMO Harris Bradley Center’s March meeting, which were released this week.

If approved by the NBA, a six-year lease would be, by far, the longest lease the two sides have had in years. In general, the Bucks and the BMO Harris Bradley Center have gone year-to-year on leases.

– Reported by Don Walker of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

With O.J. Mayo off the board (he’ll sign with the Dallas Mavericks) and Courtney Lee looking more like he’ll be out of the Boston Celtics’ price range, the Celtics must start to dig a little bit deeper into the free-agent pool of wing players.

Among those still available?

Milwaukee Bucks swing man Carlos Delfino, a player the Celtics have expressed some interest in according to league sources.

Delfino doesn’t have the same kind of sizzle as a Mayo or Lee signing might have, but he would definitely fill a need.

– Reported by CSNNE.com

The Milwaukee Bucks have re-signed free-agent forward Ersan Ilyasova (6-10, 235) to a multi-year contract, General Manager John Hammond announced today. We’ll post contract details here later today.

Ilyasova, 25, appeared in 60 games (41 starts) for the Bucks last season and averaged career-highs in points (13.0 ppg), rebounds (8.8 rpg; 18th in the NBA), assists (1.2 apg), field goal percentage (.492; 26th in the NBA), and three-point percentage (.455; 2nd in the NBA). He became the first player to average 12+ points and 8+ rebounds in fewer than 28 minutes per game since Arvydas Sabonis in 1995-96. Ilyasova erupted for 29 points and a career-best 25 rebounds in a 92-85 win at New Jersey (Feb. 19), becoming the third player in Bucks franchise history (along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Swen Nater) to record a 25/25 game. His 13 offensive rebounds in the game were the most by a Bucks player in over 25 years and just two shy of Nater’s franchise record. He was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week (Mar. 5-11) after averaging 25.0 points and 10.8 rebounds while shooting 63.8 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from the arc during a 3-1 week.

A four-year NBA veteran, Ilyasova has appeared in 267 games (120 starts) over his NBA career while averaging 9.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists. He was drafted by Milwaukee with the 36th overall pick in the second round of the 2005 NBA Draft and played his first season with Tulsa in the NBA Development League. Following the 2006-07 campaign with the Bucks, he played two seasons with Regal FC Barcelona of the Spanish League.

After two seasons overseas, Ilyasova returned to the Bucks for the 2009-10 campaign. He averaged a then-career-high 10.4 points and 6.4 rebounds in helping Milwaukee to the playoffs where he posted 12.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in the seven-game series with Atlanta.

Born in Eskisehir, Turkey, Ilyasova began playing professional basketball at the age of 15. He has represented Turkey in national team competition including the 2010 FIBA World Championships hosted in his home country.

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed second round draft pick Doron Lamb to a multi-year contract, General Manager John Hammond announced today. Milwaukee selected Lamb with the 42nd overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft.

Lamb (6-4, 210) joins the Bucks after completing his sophomore season with the National Champion Kentucky Wildcats. Over his two years at Kentucky, Lamb averaged 13.1 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 78 career games. He leaves Kentucky as the top three-point shooter in the program’s history, connecting on 47.5 percent (144-303) of his attempts from behind the arc. Lamb also joined the 1,000-point club in Kentucky’s win over Kansas in the 2012 National Championship game when he scored a team-high 22 points. He finished his career as a Wildcat with 1,018 points. Lamb was named to the Final Four All-Tournament Team, East Region All-Tournament Team and Second Team All-SEC as a sophomore.

Lamb will play for the Bucks in the 2012 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. Milwaukee has a five-game schedule that begins Monday, July 16, at 9:30 p.m. (CT) against New Orleans.

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed first round draft pick John Henson to a multi-year contract, General Manager John Hammond announced today. Henson was the 14th overall selection in the 2012 NBA Draft.

All players selected in the first round of the NBA Draft are guaranteed to receive a contract. So, this signing was expected and is standard.

Henson (6-11, 220) joins the Bucks after a three-year career at the University of North Carolina where he averaged 10.3 points and 8.1 rebounds in 109 career games. He leaves North Carolina as the Tar Heels’ all-time leader in blocks per game (2.56 – 12th in ACC history) and ranks second in total blocks (279 – 11th in ACC). He is a two-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year (2011, 2012), as well as a First Team All-ACC performer as a junior when he averaged 13.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game.

Henson will play for the Bucks in the 2012 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. The Bucks have a five-game schedule, which begins Monday, July 16, at 9:30 p.m. (CT) against New Orleans.

The Milwaukee Bucks are close to a deal with free-agent forward Ersan Ilyasova, according to a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on Sunday on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been completed. Multiple media reports earlier in the day

indicated the sides were close to a contract.

The 6-foot-10, 235-pound Ilyasova had a breakout season for Milwaukee in 2011-12, averaging 13 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. He played in 60 games and made 41 starts last season.

The 25-year-old native of Turkey has played four seasons with the Bucks, with career averages of 9.7 points and six rebounds per game.

– Reported by the Associated Press

The Milwaukee Bucks have acquired 10-year veteran center Samuel Dalembert, the 14th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, a future second round pick and cash considerations from Houston in exchange for forward Jon Brockman, forward Jon Leuer, guard Shaun Livingston and the 12th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, General Manager John Hammond announced today.

In 65 games (45 starts) with Houston last season, Dalembert (6-11, 250) averaged 7.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks (10th in NBA) in 22.2 minutes per game, while shooting 50.6 percent from the field and 79.6 percent from the free throw line. In 727 career NBA games, Dalembert, 31, has career averages of 8.0 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocked shots for the 76ers (2001-10), Kings (2010-11) and Rockets (2011-12). He has finished eight of his last 10 seasons ranked in the NBA’s top-10 in blocked shots.

A native of Haiti, Dalembert was the 26th overall pick by Philadelphia in the 2001 NBA Draft. He played eight seasons with the 76ers before being traded to Sacramento prior to the 2010-11 season. He signed with the Rockets as an unrestricted free agent prior to last season. He was named the recipient of the 2009-10 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award by the Professional Basketball Writers Association in recognition of his outstanding charitable works and tireless relief efforts in his native Haiti.

Brockman, 25, finished his third NBA campaign and second with Milwaukee last season. In 150 career NBA games, he has averaged 2.1 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. Originally drafted by Portland in the second round of the 2009 NBA Draft, Brockman was traded to Sacramento where he played his rookie season and averaged 2.8 points and 4.1 rebounds. He was traded to Milwaukee prior to the 2010-11 season for Darnell Jackson and a 2011 second round pick.

Leuer, 23, appeared in 46 games during his rookie season with the Bucks and averaged 4.7 points and 2.6 rebounds while shooting 50.8 percent from the field. He was the 40th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft after a stellar four-year collegiate career at the University of Wisconsin. He left the school ranked 12th in career points (1,376) and was named a First Team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and an honorable mention AP All-American as a senior.

Livingston, 26, appeared in 58 games (27 starts) last season for Milwaukee and averaged 5.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists. He was the 4th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers and has played 324 career games with six teams including the Clippers, Miami, Oklahoma City, Washington, Charlotte and Milwaukee over seven seasons. His career averages are 6.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.

Asked if he might be a draft sleeper, Jared Sullinger’s face broke into a sly smile. If the Ohio State forward was prepared for anything during the NBA draft combine, it was this question.

“I could be,” Sullinger said. “A lot of people have been sleeping on me, and it’s kind of fun. All my life I’ve kind of been known as the underdog.

“People said I wasn’t going to be able to play at the college level, and I did. Some people said I wasn’t going to be able to play at the high school level; some people said I was too overweight to play at the middle school level. I’m used to it.”

Doubts might recede now that Sullinger appears to measure up. He officially stood 6-foot-9 in shoes, and his wingspan of 7-1 1/4 and his standing reach of 8-11 were comparable to the centers in the combine pool. The latter number was just an inch shy of presumptive No. 1 pick Anthony Davis’ reach.

– Reported by Brian Hamilton of the Chicago Tribune

Bucks guard Brandon Jennings is eligible for a contract extension this summer, as he enters the fourth and final year of his rookie-scale contract.

But the team’s leading scorer reiterated Friday that he’s not worried about his contract situation.

“I will let (agent) Bill Duffy handle that,” Jennings said from Los Angeles on Friday. “That’s what he does. I will leave it up to Bill Duffy and (Bucks general manager) John Hammond. It’s really not my department.”

Jennings recently returned from southern China where he participated in a league-sponsored event in Guangzhou. He and Toronto Raptors forward DeMar DeRozan served as coaches for celebrity teams and appeared along with former NBA stars Horace Grant and Gary Payton.

“They just go all out for the game of basketball,” Jennings said of the fans in China.

– Reported by Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

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The Bradley Center has a new name - and, perhaps, a more specific expiration date.

BMO Harris Bank is buying naming rights to the arena, which will now be known as the BMO Harris Bradley Center.

It’s part of a six-year, $18 million partnership involving several companies, including Harley-Davidson, Kohl’s, Northwestern Mutual and Rockwell Automation.

– Reported by the Associated Press

Milwaukee Bucks forward Luc Mbah a Moute (6-8, 230) underwent successful right knee surgery on Friday to address his patellar tendonitis, General Manager John Hammond announced today.

The procedure was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles. Mbah a Moute is expected to make a full recovery and be ready for training camp in October.

Mbah a Moute, 25, missed 19 games this season due to right knee soreness and tendonitis, including the last three of the regular season. In 43 games (22 starts) this season, the four-year NBA veteran averaged a career-high 7.7 points while shooting a career-best 51.0 percent from the field. He added 5.5 rebounds in 23.5 minutes per game.

Milwaukee Bucks guard Carlos Delfino (6-6, 230) underwent successful surgery this morning to repair a sports hernia related to his right groin injury, General Manager John Hammond announced today.

The procedure was performed by Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia. Delfino is expected to return to on-court basketball activities in 6-to-8 weeks.

Delfino, 29, missed 10 games this season with a right groin injury, including the last four of the regular season. In 54 games (53 starts) this season, the seven-year NBA veteran averaged 9.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

Scott Skiles still will be in charge of the Milwaukee Bucks next season.

Skiles confirmed Tuesday that he would return for his fifth season as coach with the franchise.

And it was clear he believes he has unfinished business after the Bucks faded to a 3-7 record in the last three weeks of the season, hardly good enough to catch the surging New York Knicks or the fading Philadelphia 76ers for an Eastern Conference playoff spot.

The lockout-shortened season became just the latest non-playoff year for the franchise, its fifth in the last six seasons and third in four years under Skiles.

Skiles confirmed in a phone call that he would return to the Bucks and said he wanted to “hit the ground running” this summer to prepare for next season.

Skiles had discussions during the past few days with owner Herb Kohl and general manager John Hammond. The coach decided to work in the final year of his deal with a clear goal of returning to the playoffs.

– Reported by Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Earlier this season, Beno Udrih said he might not pick up the $7.32 million option on his contract for next season.

At the time, Udrih was obviously upset about his lack of playing time. Today, he still isn’t exactly a happy camper, especially considering he’s averaging only 18 minutes a game compared to 35 minutes last season when he played for Sacramento.

But Udrih fully realizes his market value has taken a major hit and that he wouldn’t come anywhere close to making $7 million as an unrestricted free agent this summer.

As such, Udrih, the Bucks’ second-highest paid player, said he will pick up the player option for next season.

– Reported by Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times