It may not have the spiritual zing of baseball spring training or the start of football two-a-days, but Sonics training camp starts Friday as players with fewer than four years of NBA experience report for preseason drills.

The younger players begin practice on Saturday morning. On Monday, the entire team reports for physical examinations. The first practice will be Tuesday morning.

The schedule is certain, but the final roster is not.

Forward Reggie Evans -- the Sonics' leading rebounder last season -- is an unsigned free agent. Same for Predrag Drobnjak, the top scorer among Seattle's centers, averaging 9.4 points and starting 69 games.

And though Joseph Forte's contract is certain, his future is not clear after a season in which he played sparingly, was suspended and then had a pair of legal scrapes this summer.

There has been speculation the Sonics will release Forte, but general manager Rick Sund said yesterday the third-year guard is expected to report on Friday.

Forte played in 17 games with Seattle, scored 24 points and was suspended after a locker-room tussle with center Jerome James.

The Sonics could pay off the final year of his guaranteed contract and release him at any point. Forte is guaranteed more than $1 million for the upcoming season as part of the three-year deal all first-round draft picks receive. The Sonics may be waiting to see if there are any last-ditch trade possibilities for Forte, who was chosen No. 21 overall in 2001.

In April, Forte was arrested after marijuana and a gun were found in his car. Charges are still pending with a hearing set for October. In May, he faced a warrant for misdemeanor assault in North Carolina. An undisclosed settlement was reached last month in that case.

Evans hasn't signed a contract, but has been in town working out with the Sonics, many of whom have been training on their own in recent weeks.

"We're optimistic that we'll be able to get Reggie (signed) either with us or if he signs an offer sheet where we can determine whether to match," Sund said. "We've made an offer that's still on the table, and we won't discuss that."