The Milwaukee Bucks have exercised the option on the contract of General Manager John Hammond, and extended the contract of Head Coach Scott Skiles, the team announced today.  The agreements keep both Hammond and Skiles in their respective positions with the Bucks through the 2012-13 season.

“John and Scott do an outstanding job for our basketball team,” said Herb Kohl, team president.  “They work very well together and are each highly respected by the players and among their peers.  In a short time together, they have brought our team to a very high level of performance.”

The Bucks clinched a playoff berth last season by winning 46 games, the most by the franchise since the 2000-01 campaign, and took their first round playoff series with the Atlanta Hawks to seven games.

Hammond was hired by the Bucks on April 11, 2008, and has seen the team improve their win total by eight and 12 wins, over his first two seasons.  For his accomplishments, Hammond was awarded the 2009-10 NBA Executive of the Year Award, voted by his peers in the NBA.  He has more than 30-years of coaching and administrative experience, including seven seasons with the Detroit Pistons that included an NBA Championship (2004), another NBA Finals appearance and three other Eastern Conference Finals appearances.

Skiles became the 11th head coach in Bucks history on April 21, 2008, and led the team last season to a 46-36 record – a 12-game improvement that was the biggest in the Eastern Conference and third largest in the NBA.  The team qualified for the post season for the first time since 2005-06, and he made his sixth playoff appearance as a head coach.  Skiles has amassed an overall record of 361-335 (.519) as an NBA head coach, which includes previous stints with the Chicago Bulls (2003-2007) and Phoenix Suns (1999-2002).

The Sacramento Kings today exercised the options on guard Tyreke Evans and forwards Jason Thompson, Donté Greene, and Omri Casspi, it was announced by Kings’ President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie.

Evans, entering his second NBA season, was named the 2009-10 NBA Rookie of the Year after averaging a team-leading 20.1 ppg (.458 FG%, .255 3pt%, .748 FT%), 5.3 rpg, and a team-best 5.8 apg—joining LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA history to average at least 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists in their rookie campaigns.

Thompson was selected by the Kings as a senior out of Rider (12th overall) in the 2008 NBA Draft. He has averaged 11.8 ppg (.484 FG%, .703 FT%), 7.4 rpg, and 1.1 apg per game in 157 games through two seasons with Sacramento.

Originally selected by Memphis in the first round (28th overall) of the 2008 NBA Draft as an undergraduate out of Syracuse, Greene joined the Kings after being acquired in a trade with Houston. He has accrued averages of 6.5 ppg (.407 FG%, .336 3pt%, .684 FT%) and 1.6 rpg in 131 career contests.

The first Israeli-born player in NBA history, Casspi was selected by Sacramento with the 23rd overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. He averaged 10.3 ppg (.446 FG%, .369 3pt%, .672 FT%), 4.5 rpg, and 1.2 apg as a rookie.

John Reid of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports:

New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul worked in practice Sunday with a brace off over his surgically repaired left knee.

During the portion of the practice open to the media, Paul took free throws and jump shots on an alternate court from his teammates as strength and core trainer Carlos Daniel and assistant trainer John Ishop observed.

Hornets Coach Monty Williams said Paul was getting used to the brace he’ll probably use throughout the regular season.

“We’re just trying to stay on top of anything that could be nagging,” Williams said. “It’s such a long season. When a guy is coming off a surgery, you want to be as cautious as you can to keep him from having any setbacks.”

Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal reports:

The Cavaliers’ starting small forward last season scored 2,258 points. Their small forward this season has scored 1,534 points in his three-year NBA career.

Jamario Moon knows that he’s not LeBron James, nor will he try to be this season.

”You can’t replace a guy like that,” Moon said. ”He was basically everything. He scored, he passed, he rebounded and he played defense. We’re not trying to replace him. We’re trying to work with the guys we’ve got. We’re going to put the best guys on the court that is going to give us the best chance to win. That’s all we can do.”

As the Cavaliers begin the regular season Wednesday night against the Boston Celtics, Moon has the unenviable task of replacing the franchise’s all-time leading scorer. Coach Byron Scott chose Moon to start at small forward because of his athletic ability, but he’s not a physical freak like James.

Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald reports:

Wade announced via Twitter on Sunday night that he is shedding his nickname Flash.

On Monday, Wade explained this season signifies a new era in his life and his career. For Wade, dropping the nickname is about growing up. Wade is 28 years old.

“That’s not me no more,” Wade said. “I’m in a different time; in a different place than I was when I was 22 years old. I’m just going in a different direction. I am who I am and just been thinking about it a lot, and I just want people to respect me for who I am and not a character.”

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed center Fabricio Oberto, it was announced today by General Manager Rich Cho. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“We are pleased to welcome Fabricio to Portland, and feel he can help us by providing depth in the frontcourt,” said Cho. “He’s a veteran center who has achieved success at both the NBA and international levels.”

A native of Las Varillas, Argentina, Oberto (6-10, 245) played four seasons for the San Antonio Spurs (2005-09), winning an NBA Championship as the starting center in 2007, before spending last season with the Washington Wizards.

Oberto, 35, holds career NBA averages of 3.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 14.6 minutes in 331 games (128 starts).

A veteran of international play, Oberto was a member of the Argentine National Team that won the gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics, took home the bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and won the silver medal at the 2002 FIBA World Championships.