Ryan Thompson is scheduled to work out with 12 teams in advance of next month's NBA draft -- an exciting but potentially nerve-rattling process in which a contract could be at stake.

So when by coincidence the Sacrament Kings set the earliest workout date, the timing put Thompson at ease.

"Nerves-wise, it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be," Thompson said. "I thought it was good to come here first because I knew a lot of the coaches and the guys running the workouts. It was a good ice-breaker."

Thompson had been to Sacramento several times to visit his older brother, who the Kings drafted with the 12th overall pick in 2008.

This trip was more than a little different.

"I was in a hotel room instead of his place," Thompson said. "It's business time."

Thompson talked to The Trentonian by phone before boarding a flight for San Antonio, where he'll work out Wednesday for the Spurs. He's also scheduled to work out for the Timberwolves May 23, the Trailblazers June 1 and the Celtics June 19. He'll work out for several other teams next month -- a schedule that likely would have been less busy had it not been for his performance last month at the Portsmouth Invitational.

With his draft stock needing a boost, Thompson opted to play in Portsmouth -- a tournament Jason Thompson bypassed in 2008 because he was a probable first-round pick who didn't have as much work to do to gain scouts' attention.

Thompson scored a game-high 37 points on the first day of the tournament. He finished as his team's leading scorer and was named to the all-tournament team.

"I was talking to (coach Tommy) Dempsey about it," Thompson said, "and all he said was 'be glad you went to Portsmouth."