Hanging over the Washington Wizards season will be the decision Gilbert Arenas made back in June, that he would exercise the opt-out clause in his contract and become an unrestricted free agent next summer. It has made the front office a bit nervous, to say the least.

At age 25, Arenas wants to play for a team that can get to the NBA Finals. That chance could come in Washington this season, assuming the Wizards climb through a muddle of mediocre teams in the East. But it could be somewhere else, too, depending on what this long season brings.

“I want to test the market and test my value,” Arenas says. “It’s just a business decision. If something happens and they don’t want me, or they’re going in a different direction, I can look elsewhere.”