According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Joe Alexander could miss up to three months of the 2009 season, further fueling speculation that the Bucks could decline to pick up his contract option, and put the disappointing lottery pick on the market long before anyone expected:

Asked about his contract option, Alexander indicated he was not dwelling on whether the Bucks will pick up the third year of his deal or let him become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2009-’10 season.

“The hamstring injury is a very temporary problem,” he said. "Extending my contract has to do with what’s going to happen over the next four or five years.

“If you put that against what’s happening with me in the next month, this hamstring thing is a very small issue. So I don’t think it should affect the contract decision; I don’t think it will.”

If the Bucks choose not to pick up the first option year, Alexander would become one of only a handful of lottery picks to not be renewed since the current system was put in place in 2005. First-round picks are guaranteed two years, with clubs holding options for the third and fourth years.

On Alexander’s contract and his place with the Bucks, we go to Frank Madden, of SBN’s Brew Hoop: "I’d guess they pick it up, if only because it’s the easy thing to do. His $2.76 million number next year isn’t likely to wreck their cap or tax situation (as of now they’re not projected to have space until 2011 anyway) and it’s not an unreasonable number for a young player with some upside.

It seems obvious at this point he doesn’t have as much upside as initially hoped, and he wasn’t as coachable as they expected. But the hamstring issue shouldn’t impact their long-term view of him, and he’s worked hard on his game this summer. He has the will and physical talents to get better, now the question is if he can learn to do the little things needed to be a productive player."

For more on Alexander and the Bucks, check out Brew Hoop.