Eddy Curry will fly to Los Angeles Thursday to visit noted cardiologist David Cannom before becoming a restricted free agent at midnight Friday.

John Paxson said for the first time publicly on Wednesday that the Bulls would clear Curry to resume physical activity once the meeting with Cannom is completed.

"That's just great news to hear," Curry said by phone. "It's the ending I thought it would come to and the words I've been waiting to hear."

Curry, 22, has been sidelined since March 30 after experiencing an irregular heartbeat before a game in Charlotte. Cannom determined last week that Curry's enlarged heart doesn't constitute a life-threatening situation and is a byproduct of exercise.

Curry also visited heart specialists in Boston and Minneapolis, both of whom wanted to determine if the fourth-year center is genetically disposed to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a potentially fatal condition.

If the Bulls have remaining health concerns about Curry, look for them to materialize in the form of short-term or incentive-laden offers during the free-agent negotiating period, which begins Friday and lasts until July 22.

"I've said all along I want to stay in Chicago, and that's still the case," he said. "Some people think playing in my hometown is tough or a distraction for me, but I've always looked at it as a positive.

"Plus, this is the team I started out with and now we're building something. We have a great group of young players, the fans have always supported us and [coach Scott] Skiles will be around for the next four years. He has proved what he can do as a coach. I'm excited."

Curry is eager to resume working out to shed the 10-15 pounds he has added in his three months of inactivity.

"I want to show that last summer wasn't a fluke and I will," Curry said. "I was in the best shape of my career last season and I plan to be in even better shape next season."

Atlanta and Cleveland reportedly will show interest in Curry. Paxson plans to be proactive with Curry, but how his health situation affects his market value will be interesting to monitor.