Johnson will coach hapless Nets next year

NBA: Avery Johnson says he has agreed to become the coach of the New Jersey Nets, the NBA’s worst team.

In a text message to the Associated Press on Wednesday, Johnson said he thinks the Nets will announce the deal today.

Nets president and general manager Rod Thorn did not immediately respond when asked to comment on Johnson’s text. In an earlier e-mail to the AP, he said he “will have something to say” today.

Avery, a current ESPN analyst, coached Dallas for three-plus seasons, going 194-70 in the regular season and 23-24 in the playoffs. He guided the Mavs to the NBA finals in 2006, but was fired after a first-round playoff series loss to New Orleans in 2008.

Johnson will take over a team that posted a league-worst 12-70 record and set a league record by opening the season with 18 straight losses.

Panthers lose LB Davis for 2010 season

NFL: Carolina weakside linebacker Thomas Davis has suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee for the second time in seven months, likely leaving the Panthers without one of their top players for the 2010 season.

Davis’ knee buckled in a non-contact drill in a voluntary workout. Davis had been making a remarkably speedy recovery after he was first injured Nov. 8 at New Orleans.

•WR Bruce retires: Wide receiver Isaac Bruce, 37, whose four Pro Bowls firmly established him among the greatest players in Rams history, is retiring after 16 seasons in which he set nearly every franchise receiving record. He’s second in the NFL in career receiving yards with 15,208, tied for second in yards per catch (14.9), fifth in catches (1,024) and ninth in receiving touchdowns (91). He also helped the Rams win the Super Bowl in 2000.

The Rams will honor Bruce by retiring his No. 80 on Oct. 31 during a game against Carolina.

•Chargers sign Thomas: Three-time Pro Bowl left tackle Tra Thomas signed a one-year contract with the San Diego Chargers, perhaps as insurance in case left tackle Marcus McNeill continues his holdout.

Thomas was a first-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1998. He went to the Pro Bowl after the 2001, ’02 and ’04 seasons.

Thomas signed with Jacksonville last year and played in just eight games.

•Packers CB faces sexual assault charge: Facing a sexual assault claim, Green Bay Packers cornerback Brandon Underwood apologized to his teammates for creating a distraction.

In a brief statement to reporters, Underwood declined to discuss the allegations made by two women after a weekend incident in Lake Delton, Wis.

Lake Delton Police Chief Tom Dorner said that the women initially told investigators they were sexually assaulted by more than one player while other players held them down. After the players were questioned, Dorner said the women changed their statements to say only one person assaulted them.

Injury put Zaun’s career in jeopardy

Miscellany: Brewers catcher Gregg Zaun, 39, will have season-ending shoulder surgery, which will likely finish his short stint in Milwaukee and maybe his career.

Zaun was injured in a plate collision in Washington in April. He spent several weeks trying to rehab the shoulder before deciding on surgery on the torn labrum.

•Front Row crew members suspended: NASCAR levied stiff fines against Front Row Motorsports for using illegal valve stem caps on Travis Kvapil’s car last weekend at Pocono Raceway.

Crew chief Steve Lane was fined $100,000 and suspended for 12 weeks along with car chief Richard Bourgeois and tire specialist Michael Harrold. Kvapil and car owner Doug Yates were docked 150 points each.

•ESPN sued: A former ESPN production assistant whose affair with broadcaster Steve Phillips led to their firings has filed a lawsuit against the sports network, saying it defamed her.

The lawsuit by 23-year-old Brooke Hundley, filed in Stamford Superior Court, says ESPN defamed her by firing her based on false statements by Phillips and by claiming she had not fully cooperated with its investigation.

Hundley said Phillips made false statements to police and falsely claimed he had been trying to end their affair.

•Former USF player killed: Former San Francisco Dons basketball player Hyman Taylor Jr. was shot and killed Tuesday night outside an IKEA furniture store in Emeryville, Calif.

Taylor, a native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was a 6-foot-9, 245-pound center, who last played for USF during the 2008-09 season. He was suspended by coach Rex Walters for not complying with instructions during practice and didn’t play again.

No arrests have been made and a motive for the shooting hasn’t been determined.

• Johnson wins race: Jimmie Johnson led from start to finish to win Tony Stewart’s dirt track charity race in Rossburg, Ohio. Johnson, the four-time defending NASCAR Sprint Cup champion, survived 14 cautions with Kyle Bush on his bumper for each restart to win the sixth running of the Prelude to a Dream on Eldora Speedway’s half-mile oval owned by Stewart.