LeBron leads free-agent crop ready to change NBA

The NBA's free agency period has opened, with LeBron James leading perhaps the deepest group of players to ever hit the open market.

Teams could begin making their pitches at 0400 GMT Thursday, and some were getting started quickly.

Atlanta's Joe Johnson was expecting early visits in Los Angeles from the Hawks and New York Knicks, with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporting that the Hawks were prepared to offer the All-Star shooting guard a maximum salary contract.

Things get interesting later Thursday, when the New Jersey Nets and Knicks are scheduled for visits to Ohio to meet with James, the two-time MVP who heads the class.

It …