LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles Lakers guard Shannon Brown will not exercise the option in his contract to remain with the team next season and will test the waters as an unrestricted free agent.

Brown, 25, informed the Lakers on Thursday, the last possible day with the June 30 deadline, that he would not be accepting their guaranteed deal worth approximately $2.4 million that was on the table. After playing for four teams through the first five years of his career, Brown is seeking a multiyear deal through free agency.

"Today we did what we had to do to increase my chances of getting better in the NBA," Brown said in a phone interview.

Brown, who blossomed as a player in his 2½ seasons with the Lakers, winning two championships and averaging a career-high 8.7 points per game in 2010-11, said he struggled with the decision.