Mario Hezonja decided to make this basketball summer a little more… up and down! In a move that sent shockwaves through Madrid, he activated the clause allowing him to leave for the NBA and set all the speculation about his future ablaze. Real Madrid suddenly saw its most explosive forward take his freedom, but that doesn’t mean the Croatian has already booked his ticket to the other side of the Atlantic.

The famous buyout clause—approximately 850,000 euros—is the key to the story. No NBA team needs to pay it; he can cover it himself, as several players who want to take their fate into their own hands have done. And that’s exactly what he did: He opened the door, but he hasn’t stepped through it yet. The NBA is watching him, weighing him up, evaluating him, but so far no offer has been put on the table that would make him say “yes.”

And this is where the real game begins. If Hezonja signs a 10-day contract or some kind of non-guaranteed deal, he could find himself a free agent again in just a few days. The NBA is tough; it gives nothing away, and the Croatian knows this all too well. If he doesn’t find the role he wants, if he doesn’t get playing time, if he doesn’t get paid, then the door to the EuroLeague remains wide open.

And that’s what makes this situation really intriguing: Hezonja isn’t tied down by anything. Activating the clause doesn’t mean he’ll stay in the U.S. for the entire season. It means he wants to give the NBA another shot, but he has no obligation to stay there if things don’t go as he imagines. If the NBA doesn’t work out for him, he can return to Europe within a few weeks, get back into EuroLeague action, and shift the balance of power once again.

Simply put: Hezonja made the move that European basketball had been waiting for all summer, but the story is still open-ended, fluid, and full of twists and turns. Until a guaranteed contract is signed, nothing is set in stone. The NBA wants him, the EuroLeague is waiting for him, and he holds the hottest card of the summer in his hands.

*photo source: KYPE