"When Richard Jefferson came to San Antonio last summer, arriving in a ballyhooed trade with Milwaukee that sent his new team hurtling past the luxury tax threshold, it was hailed as the sort of spendthrift move the Spurs never do.

Jefferson returned the surprise Wednesday.

In a calculated gamble that seemed to catch the rest of the NBA off guard, Jefferson informed the Spurs he was opting out of the final season of his contract, giving up $15.2 million to become an unrestricted free agent.

Jefferson's agent, Todd Eley, characterized the decision as a means to take advantage of a sellers' free-agent market this summer, and hedge against the uncertainty of an NBA collective bargaining agreement that expires after next season.

It doesn't necessarily mean Jefferson's first season in San Antonio will be his last. There remains a possibility — maybe even a probability — that Jefferson will re-sign with the Spurs in a long-term deal more palatable to their bottom line."