Two NBA teams re-signed their backup centers.

Yeah, it’s the NBA off-season, so this qualifies as news.

The New Orleans Hornets brought back Kiwi Sean Marks. The 6-foot-10, 250-pound New Zealand native averaged 3.2 points and 3.1 rebounds in 14.1 minutes for the Hornets last season.

The 34-year old Marks is a nine-year NBA veteran journeyman, having spent time with four other teams: Miami, Phoenix, San Antonio and Toronto.  He was the first player from New Zealand to play in the NBA.

Nuggets sign Petro
The Denver Nuggets re-signed Johan Petro of France to a one-year, league-minimum deal for $825,000.

The 23-year old center spent his first three and a half seasons with Oklahoma City/Seattle Sonics before being traded to the Nuggets during the 2008-09 season for backup guard Chucky Atkins.

Petro was recently cut from the French National Team in favor of Ian Mahinmi, another NBA player.

“We decided not to keep (Petro) for more defensive reasons than offense. We believed that Ian Mahinmi had a profile that had more mobility and gives an advantage to the national team.” said France’s head coach Vincent Collet.

The 7-0 Petro has NBA career averages of 5.4 points and 4.3 rebounds in 270 games with the Nuggets and Oklahoma City/Seattle Sonics.  The Parisian native was drafted in the first round of the 2005 NBA draft with the 25th pick overall.