As expected, Marcus Camby will opt out of his $7.75 million contract for next season, seeking a long-term deal in the offseason.

This move will help the Nuggets short term, since they now have one less player to protect in the June 22 Expansion Draft.

"I see it as a positive for both sides, really," GM Kiki Vandeweghe. "At the end of the day, I think Marcus wants to be in Denver, and we certainly want him back."

Now the two sides will try to keep the good tone and work it out.

"We've worked so well with them all along," said Rick Kaplan, Camby's agent. "We knew this would make everything easier. At a certain point, there was no reason to let things linger for the Nuggets or for Marcus."