Multiple news outlets are reporting NBA teams will be allowed to speak the agents for players beginning Wednesday at 9 a.m., a sign there is progress toward settling litigation between players and the league and training camp will open as planned on Dec. 9.
Players can begin using team facilities but cannot have workouts supervised by team coaches or training staff.
Teams will also be allowed to comment publicly on free agency and the prospects for the coming season.
Free agents cannot be signed until Dec. 9 and teams aren't supposed to make agreements with free agents until then.
(If you believe that won't happen, I have a bridge I want to sell you.).
The Kings the news on free agency affects the most are guard Marcus Thornton and center Samuel Dalembert.
Thornton is a restricted free agent and high on the Kings' priorities. By Dec. 9, the Kings should know exactly how much it will take to re-sign Thornton or how much they'd have to spend to match an offer sheet.
All indications have been the Kings intend to retain Thornton.
Dalmebert is an unrestricted free agent. The Kings expressed interest in re-signing him during the season, but Dalembert was noncommittal.
Dalembert was unhappy with his role at times and already told Foxsports.com he'd consider taking less money to play for the Miami Heat, where he lives in the offseason and is near his native Haiti, where Dalembert does a lot of charity work.
"I'm keeping all my options open, but Miami could be a good fit for me," Dalembert said to Fox Sports.
Dalembert is itching to have a chance to win and going back east to a team like Miami, or the New York Knicks, might afford him that chance sooner than playing for the Kings.
Dalembert sees where he might fight with the Heat's lineup.
"If you look at the playoffs with Dallas, you saw what Tyson Chandler did," Dalembert said, "He was basically a key ingredient for them to win a championship. And Miami didn't have somebody like that. Somebody able to stop (opponents from) getting second shots and somebody able to rebound and finish. I could fill that role and be an asset for that team."
The Kings already have a lineup in place that prepares them to lose Dalembert. By acquiring power forward J.J. Hickson before the lockout began, the Kings can use DeMarcus Cousins as the starting center with Hickson or Jason Thompson playing power forward.
The Kings still figure to sign another big man for depth. The team isn't sure what to expect from second-year center Hassan Whiteside and wants another big to protect themselves.
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