The San Antonio Spurs released free agent shooting guard Thomas Gardner today, announcing it in the shortest press release I've ever read.

Gardner, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard, has played 20 total NBA games split between the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks, though spent last season with the Antwerp Giants in Belgium where he averaged 14.2 points on 58% shooting through five games in the EuroChallenge.

Assumedly, he was only brought in to be the designated shooter while the Spurs waited on Kirk Penney to come over from Australia and sign his contract as I had initially not heard his name mentioned with the rest of San Antonio's training camp invitees (they also added Bobby Simmons, though I suspect he's got a better chance of sticking than the rest of the invites).

Since Gardner's been released so early, I'm unsure what this means as far as interest from the Spurs seeing him in an Austin Toros uniform when training camp opens Nov. 9.  Understanding the abundance of backcourt mates Gardner had with San Antonio, though, it was probably more a case of them wanting more reps for those players that might be able to crack the regular season roster.

Or, conversely, Gardner could have just been marred by the shooting slump that overcame him this summer when he made just eight of his 27 field goal attempts for the Utah Jazz Summer League entry in Orlando, including 3-of-14 from beyond the arc.  He's a good defender, but not as good as Bobby Simmons, and without his jumper working? That'd make him kind of worthless.

Oh, and for what it's worth, Gardner kind of likes the NBA Development League.