Ramon Sessions to decline player option but wants to remain with Lakers

Lakers point guard Ramon Sessions plans to decline his $4.6 million player option for next season and become an unrestricted free agent, the Los Angeles Times reports (via HoopsHype).

But Sessions said he’d like to return to the Lakers if he and the team are able to work out a multi-year deal.

"I want to be here,” Session told the Times. “I don't know what that means or how that's going to happen. It ain't no secret. I'll tell anybody that. I tell (Lakers GM) Mitch Kupchak. I tell my agent. I want to be here. Period. For a long time."

The Lakers acquired Sessions in a deadline-day trade with the Cavaliers and traded away their long-time point guard Derek Fisher to make room for him.

"When they got rid of Fish, I was like, wow, these guys really must believe in me," Sessions said, per the Times. "They want me to come in and play for the Lakers and start for the Lakers when I'm in Cleveland and I can't even start for them."

After coming off the bench for his first four games as a Laker, Sessions is now the team’s starter at point guard. He’s averaging 13.1 points and 7.1 assists in his first 17 games with L.A.

"He's given this team a big lift," Lakers coach Mike Brown said. "You see and you feel some leadership capabilities within him. That's something that at that point-guard position, if he can get comfortable doing it, which I think he very well can, it can help out this organization for a long, long time."