The Milwaukee Bucks took the first step in their reorganization Friday, hiring John Hammond as their new general manager.

Hammond, 53, has spent the past seven seasons as the vice president of basketball operations for the Detroit Pistons, an annual power in the NBA's Eastern Conference.

The move appears to be the start of a much-whispered-about approach Bucks owner Herb Kohl is believed to want to take in rebuilding an organization that has slipped to the lower levels of respectability in the NBA.

That approach has Kohl hiring a strong behind-the-scenes general manager, who will then hire a big-name coach who can bring instant credibility to a franchise that is about to finish out of the playoffs for the fourth time in six seasons.

"We are pleased to have John Hammond assume leadership of our basketball operations, effective immediately," Kohl said in a news release. "He is a proven NBA talent who has played an essential role in a winning NBA organization. We look forward to John's contributions to our franchise."

"I want to thank Sen. Kohl for the opportunity to be the general manager of the Bucks," said Hammond, who will be formally introduced this afternoon. "I had the pleasure of working under one of the best executives in the game today in (Pistons general manager) Joe Dumars and I thank him for the opportunity he gave me to be a part of Detroit's winning tradition. The Bucks are a history-rich franchise with amazing fans and I look forward to the challenge of bringing a championship back to Milwaukee."

The Bucks, 26-53 after losing Friday night at Boston, have clinched the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference this season, ahead of Miami and New York. The Bucks, 28-54 last season, have a chance to finish with the third-worst record in franchise history in their 40th anniversary season.

The Bucks' overhaul began March 19 with the firing of general manager Larry Harris. Larry Krystkowiak, in his first full season as coach, is not expected to be retained.

Hammond is closely connected to Rick Carlisle, a current ESPN analyst and former coach of the Pistons and Indiana Pacers, as well as the much-traveled Larry Brown, who is the 76ers' executive vice president but recently has said he wants to get back into coaching.

Hammond joined the Pistons in 1994 as the team's scouting director and an assistant to coaches Doug Collins and Alvin Gentry. After taking an assistant coaching job with the Los Angeles Clippers for one season, Hammond returned to the Pistons as director of player personnel before assuming his current position the following season.

Hammond, who also has 10 years of experience as a college coach, joined the NBA in 1989 as an assistant for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Hammond, a native of Zion, Ill., has spent the past seven seasons as Dumars' top assistant. In that time, the Pistons have won at least 50 games every season and reached the Eastern Conference finals five times. In 2004, the Pistons won the NBA championship.