Sessions Looking For Long-Term Lakers Deal

Lakers point guard Ramon Sessions is expected to decline a player option for $4.6MM and become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season with hopes of returning to Los Angeles on a long-term deal, writes Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times.

Sessions said that he feels like he has been given an opportunity with the Lakers to show the NBA what he's capable of doing as a starting point guard, something that he hasn't been afforded in other stops along his career.

"It's crazy. My whole career, there's never been a point where I kind of had control," he said. "Now I've got control."

After leaving school early and barely being drafted in 2007 by the Bucks, Sessions struggled to prove that he had the talent to become an impact player in the NBA. From injuries to stints in the D-League to backing up veterans, Sessions often found himself questioning if he would ever make something of himself in the NBA. While he never enjoyed sustained success in any of his myriad stops before arriving in Los Angeles, Sessions showed flashes of brilliance with a Bucks team-record 24 assists in a game his rookie year and a 44-point outburst against the Pistons during his second season.

The former Nevada star was acquired from the Cavs at the trade deadline and has provided the Lakers with a youthful spark as the team's new starting point guard after trading Derek Fisher to the Rockets. Sessions, 26, has been a major reason why the Lakers are currently the third seed in the Western Conference with his 13.1 PPG and 7.1 APG since arriving in Los Angeles. Given his strong level of play and a chance to showcase his talents during the playoffs, Sessions will command a great deal of attention during free agency if he can't strike a deal with the Lakers.

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