Hammond Milwaukee’s new GM

MILWAUKEE (AP) — John Hammond slipped into the suite where Joe Dumars was sitting when the Detroit Pistons’ general manager began rattling off ideas for the future.

Hammond stopped the Friday night chat when Dumars slipped up.

“He said, ‘I was looking at our team and I think we need this.’ I said, ‘What do you mean our team?’ ” recalled Hammond, introduced as the Milwaukee Bucks new GM Saturday.

Hammond, who spent the last seven seasons in Detroit as the vice president of basketball operations, said the time was right to move to a new challenge.

“I’m anxious, I’m real anxious, and I think that’s healthy to be anxious,” Hammond said. “A little fear is healthy, to say I want to do this. I want to do this in the worst way.”

Bucks owner and Sen. Herb Kohl is giving Hammond a five-year contract to turn around a team that’s made just one playoff appearance in the last four seasons and one Eastern Conference final since 1986.

“We have work to do, but we think this is a great opportunity that we can get better, we can improve,” said Hammond, who’s replacing Larry Harris after he left the team March 19.

Hammond twice met with Kohl beginning Tuesday with a follow-up interview Thursday.