Pistons close to naming coach

The Detroit Pistons reportedly are nearing an agreement with John Kuester to make him their coach after failing to reach an agreement with Avery Johnson.

The contract with Kuester could be completed as soon as today, said a person familiar with the negotiations.

Kuester spent the last two seasons as a Cleveland Cavaliers assistant and was on Larry Brown’s championship-winning staff in 2004 with the Pistons.

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The NBA salary cap has been set for next season at $57.7 million, down from $58.68 million in 2008-09, allowing teams to begin signing players. . . . Mike Krzyzewski appears set to go for more gold. USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said that “all leads point to Coach K coming back,” following a report by the Boston Globe that Krzyzewski has agreed to return as U.S. Olympic basketball coach. . . . The Atlanta Hawks have reached an agreement to re-sign guard Mike Bibby to a three-year deal.

HOCKEY

Ducks retain center Marchant

Despite initial disagreements over contract terms, the Ducks re-signed unrestricted free-agent center Todd Marchant, 35, to a two-year contract. The deal reportedly will pay him $1 million next season and $1.25 million in 2010-11.

The veteran center, who has been a force on the Ducks’ penalty kill, said he had entertained offers from other teams when his demands were not met by July 1 but is happy the Ducks came around.

“Anaheim was my first choice and where I wanted to be. Once we could agree on a two-year contract, it was a simple process and we got the deal done pretty quickly,” he said.

-- Melissa Rohlin

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Chris Pronger and the Philadelphia Flyers agreed to a multiyear extension. . . . Joe Sakic, the Colorado Avalanche’s longtime captain who led the team to two Stanley Cup titles, is retiring after a 20-year NHL career.

SOCCER

U.S.’ Onyewu joins AC Milan

U.S. defender Oguchi Onyewu joined AC Milan, becoming one of the few Americans to play in Italy’s top league.

Milan agreed to a three-year contract with the 27-year-old, whose contract with Standard Liege in Belgium had expired.

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Celso Borges’ goal in the 64th minute gave Costa Rica a 1-0 win over Jamaica in their CONCACAF Gold Cup match at Columbus, Ohio. In the second game, Ali Gerba scored for the second straight game and Canada strengthened its hold on Group A with a 1-0 win over El Salvador.

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U.S. midfielder Michael Bradley has been suspended for three international matches by FIFA after a confrontation at the Confederations Cup last month, but he is not expected to miss any World Cup qualifying matches.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

Walsh to return at Hermosa event

Olympic gold medalist Kerri Walsh will return at the AVP Crocs Slam Hermosa Beach Open on Aug. 6 with partner Rachel Wacholder, Walsh’s agent, Ryan Morgan, confirmed Tuesday.

Walsh, 30, had a baby with her husband, volleyball player Casey Jennings, in May and was expected to miss the 2009 season.

She and partner Misty May-Treanor won beach volleyball gold medals at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, both times without losing a set, and won 89 straight matches in 2003-04.

May-Treanor tore her Achilles’ tendon while training for “Dancing With the Stars” in October and will miss the season.

-- Bill Brink

ETC.

Bolt runs 19.59 in Lausanne 200

Usain Bolt ran the fourth-fastest 200 meters in history, finishing in 19.59 seconds at the Athletissima meet at Lausanne, Switzerland, despite chilly weather and a track slowed by a downpour.

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Forward Derrick Williams of La Mirada, who at one time had committed to play basketball at USC, has signed a letter of intent to play for Arizona. The school also announced the signing of point guard Lamont “MoMo” Jones of New York. . . . Two University of Washington rushing backs, Brandon Johnson of Hawthorne and David Freeman of Inglewood, have been ruled academically ineligible for the upcoming football season.

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Yahoo Inc. and the NFL Players Assn. have reached a settlement over the use of players’ statistics, photos and other data in Yahoo’s popular online fantasy football game, but details were not released.