Philadelphia 76er forward Elton Brand doesn’t have any insider information suggesting the NBA lockout will end any time soon, but he’s organizing his team for workouts anyway.

The 76ers are scheduled to meet next week in Los Angeles to begin working out together, according to an Associated Press report. Andre Iguodala, Evan Turner, Lou William and several other Philadelphia players are on board. Players are flying in and rooming together so they can get good quality workouts in.

The players aren’t allowed to have any contact with the team or train in the facilities, so this will be their opportunity to get ready in hopes that training camp starts on time in the fall.

“I can’t wait to see where the guys are at,” Brand said to AP. “I’ve been talking to them all summer. They seem to be in shape already in case we get this thing going.”

The likelihood of that happening anytime soon seems doubtful. The two sides remain far apart and can’t seem to even agree on meeting to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement. Some believe the entire 2011−12 season could be lost at this rate, though Brand remains cautiously optimistic.

“I’ll have a better feel closer to training camp,” Brand said. “As of now, it doesn’t look good. It doesn’t look good at all. I don’t think we’re going to start with a normal training camp because the numbers are so far apart. But I think as training camp gets closer, we’ll know more if we have to miss games.”

Contact Terrance Harris at terrancefharris@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @Terranceharris

(Photo: AP Photo/Matt Rourke)