Returning to Normalcy With Free-Agent Frenzy in N.B.A. Midnight madness was to return to the N.B.A. at 12:01 Sunday morning - an exhilarating burst of phone calls, texts and multimillion-dollar offers, a jolt of normalcy to end a most abnormal year. One year ago today, the N.B.A. locked out its players and plunged itself into darkness. The July 1 free-agent rush, a cherished rite of summer, was wiped out. When the market finally reopened, it was mid-December, and - as with the season that followed - the process was compressed and hurried. So there could be no better sign of the league's return to health than the mad dash to hand out eight-figure deals. Deron Williams, Steve Nash and Ray Allen are the headliners in an otherwise unspectacular free-agent class, and they should dominate the discussion for the first week of free agency. Although teams and players can negotiate contracts, no deals can be consummated until July 11. In all, more than 170 players are on the market. "It's going to be crazy busy, that's for sure," said Mark Bartelstein, a Chicago-based agent whose free-agent clients include Steve Novak (Knicks), Shannon Brown (Suns) and Brandon Rush (Warriors). The market lost a little luster early Saturday when Kevin Garnett, who was due to become a free agent, agreed to an extension with the Boston Celtics. The deal is worth $34 million over three years, according to Yahoo Sports, and it will keep Garnett, a future Hall of Famer, in a Celtics uniform through his 39th birthday. By locking up Garnett, the Celtics sent a clear signal that they are not ready to rebuild, or to cede the Eastern Conference to the Miami Heat. Despite their aging core, the Celtics took a 3-2 lead in the conference finals before losing to the Heat in seven games. With Garnett, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo in the fold, Boston has a chance to extend the Big 3 era, although perhaps with a different Big 3. The Celtics must still decide whether to bring back Allen, another key piece of their 2008 title team. He is expected to be pursued by the Heat, the Knicks and the Phoenix Suns, although the Celtics can offer him the most money. Williams is the best young player on the market, and the key to the Nets" prosperity as they move to Brooklyn. The Nets are offering Williams a maximum contract, about $100 million over five years, but he is being heavily courted by the Dallas Mavericks, his hometown team. Under N.B.A. rules, no other team can offer Williams more than about $75 million over four years. The Mavericks began clearing salary-cap room on Friday, by sending Lamar Odom's $8.2 million contract to the Los Angeles Clippers in a four-team deal. Dallas must make at least one more payroll move to have enough room to offer Williams a maximum salary of $17.1 million. One option is to use the so-called "amnesty" clause to remove the salary of Brendan Haywood ($8.35 million). Williams is expected to meet with the Nets and the Mavericks within the first few days of free agency and could choose a team by the end of the week. Dollars aside, it will not be a simple decision. The Mavericks have the better team at the moment, and a Williams-Dirk Nowitzki tandem would be among the best in the league. But Dallas has an aging core and little else to offer. Nowitzki is 34. The Nets are effectively starting from scratch, with up to $48 million in salary-cap room and a handful of players under contract. If Williams returns, it would be on a leap of faith - a belief that General Manager Billy King can acquire Dwight Howard or another star to help him. At the moment, the Nets" best complementary players are Brook Lopez and Gerald Wallace, who are also free agents. If the Mavericks miss on Williams, they could turn their attention to Nash, who left Dallas for Phoenix eight years ago. Nash remains close friends with Nowitzki, and that pair could keep Dallas in contention for another few years. Nash hinted to ESPN.com this week that he will probably leave the Suns. He will be pursued by the Toronto Raptors, as well the Mavericks, the Nets and the Knicks. Nash spends his summers in New York and has spoken openly about playing here. Point guard is the strongest position in this free-agent class. Others on the market include Jason Kidd, Andre Miller, Goran Dragic, Jameer Nelson, Raymond Felton, Aaron Brooks, George Hill, Chauncey Billups, Ramon Sessions and Jeremy Lin. Kidd, who helped Dallas win the title in 2011, is expected to draw interest from the Nets, the Knicks and the Golden State Warriors, his hometown team. Kidd and Williams are good friends who share an agent, and it will not be surprising if they land somewhere together. This will be the first full free-agent period under the new labor deal, and the first true test of the N.B.A."s new payroll restraints - which include a more punitive luxury tax, shorter contracts and smaller raises. Teams that exceed the tax threshold of $70 million will lose their $5 million midlevel exception and get a $3.09 million "taxpayer" exception. In an early sign of the new austerity, the Memphis Grizzlies declined to make a qualifying offer to O. J. Mayo, their talented sixth man, making him an unrestricted free agent. The other effects are yet to be seen. "I think the market is going to be a tad different," one prominent agent said.