NBA free agency period to start six hours earlier

Kevin Durant will travel with the Golden State Warriors to Toronto ahead of the NBA Finals.|Art or Photo Credit: AP

The NBA free agency period will open six hours earlier this year, the league and the National Basketball Players Association announced Friday.

Teams and free agents now will be able to open their negotiations on June 30 at 6 p.m. ET instead of July 1 at 12:01 a.m.

The two sides may talk solely to schedule meetings beginning June 29 at 6 p.m. ET but can't talk numbers until 24 hours later.

The 2019 free-agent class has a number of big-name players, including Golden State stars Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard (Toronto), Kemba Walker (Charlotte), Tobias Harris and Jimmy Butler (Philadelphia), Kyrie Irving (Boston) and Khris Middleton (Milwaukee).