Pistons close to naming Kuester coach
After meeting with Detroit Pistons president Joe Dumars and members of his front office in Auburn Hills, Mich., John Kuester returned home to Philadelphia on Tuesday night on the brink of becoming the franchise's next coach, a league source close to the process said.
No deal will be finalized before Wednesday, but the two sides are close to an agreement that would make Kuester, a Cleveland Cavaliers assistant, the Pistons' coach.
Kuester has a history with the Pistons as a former Larry Brown assistant. He has been on several NBA coaching staffs, including Cleveland, Detroit, New Jersey and Philadelphia.
The Pistons broke off talks with Avery Johnson on Tuesday morning after the two sides could not come to terms on a contract.
Dumars met with Johnson on Sunday in Houston, and talked with him and his representatives through Tuesday morning. Johnson, who is owed $8 million from the Dallas Mavericks, has been seeking a four-year, $20 million contract. So far, no NBA teams have been inclined to make that type of investment in contract talks with him.
