By Julian Benbow, Globe staff

The Celtics are close to reaching an agreement to bringing back free agent forward Marquis Daniels, according to two sources, giving a second chance to Daniels after a bruised spinal cord brought his 2010-11 season to an abrupt and unfortunate end.

Daniels is expected to be in Waltham Thursday for physicals. The free agent period begins Friday along with training camp and teams can begin signing players at 2 p.m.

Daniels spent the past two seasons in Boston, as a crafty slasher and a reliable defender. But injuries have always seemed to plague the 30-year-old, and last season he saw the scariest moment of his career.

After a collision with the Orlando Magic’s Gilbert Arenas in a nationally-televised win over Feb. 6 over the Magic, Daniels laid immobile on the parquet getting attention from team doctors and trainers before being carried off on a stretcher.

He missed the remainder of the season. The Celtics, in need of a replacement backup small forward, actually traded him to the Sacramento Kings for a second-round pick in 2017. Daniels had surgery in March with the hopes of returning to the court this season.

While he was out, several Celtics remained in contact, including Rajon Rondo. Daniels participated in Rondo’s charity game at Harvard last month.