The decision came mainly from Sessions’ desire to obtain a long-term contract with an NBA team, either in L.A. or elsewhere. He would only return to the Lakers with long-term security, but after a bad end of the season performance, I find it hard to imagine Sessions would get what he wanted.
The only reason to keep him would be to secure this young point guard to add to the youth of the team in hopes that the off-season and practice would get him up to speed on where he needs to be. Remember, Ramon was traded from the Cavaliers before the trade deadline on March 15th, and after starting off with promise, steadily declined during the end of the 2011-2012 season. It is no secret that the Lakers are limited in terms of signing any players via free agency over the summer with the team well over the salary cap and looking at a costly luxury tax. Sessions may have to bring down his salary demand if he wants to remain in L.A.
Phil Jackson has an HBO interview airing tonight in which he talked a little about Kobe Bryant and his style of play. Although Phil appreciated Kobe’s assassin mentality, Jackson would have liked to see Bryant share the ball with his teammates more. The desire for ball movement and team-oriented play was a major part of Jackson’s interview, as Kobe was compared to possible NBA Finals winner LeBron James. For more on the interview, click here.
Lakers Nation News
Top 10 Ramon Sessions Lakers Images of 2011-2012
Phil Jackson Wanted Kobe Bryant to Play More Like Lebron James
Kobe is 6th Highest Paid Athlete in the World
Ramon Sessions Declines Player Option, Is a Free Agent
Lakers News
Ramon Sessions Chooses Free Agency [Forum Blue and Gold]
Lakers 12-1 Pick to win 2013 NBA Title [LA Times]
Ettore Messina Was Invaluable [OC Register]
The Road Not Taken [Silver Screen and Roll]
Horse Owned by Kobe and Pau Loses By a Nose [ESPN]
Lakers Hopeful About Re-Signing Ramon Sessions [OC Register]
Is Kobe Bryant Overpaid? [ESPN LA]
Session Has Denied Player Option [Silver Screen and Roll]
How Lakers Lost Their Symmetry [OC Register]
World Peace Busy on Twitter [LA Times]
NBA News
NBA Taking Steps to Prevent Flopping [OC Register]
Heat in Same Spot as 2011 Finals, But Carrying a Different Attitude [Eye on Basketball]
Time for More Collison [NBA Playbook]
10 Most Overpaid Players List [NBC Sports]
Doc Medically Red Flag Jared Sullinger [ESPN]
Russell Westbrook Undaunted by Struggles in Finals [Yahoo Sports]
Lebron James Says His Life is Like an Amusement Park [ProBasketball Talk]
Shane Battier Hopes to Become Second of Coach K’s Duke Players with NBA Title [Yahoo Sports]
Young Thunder Not Feeling Down… Yet [NBA.com]
Durant Will Shoot in the Fourth “Until My Arm Falls Off” [Eye on Basketball]
Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony to be in Chinese Sci-Fi Film [ProBasketball Talk]
OKC Coach Played at UC Irvine [OC Register]
Mike Dunlap New Bobcats Head Coach [Yahoo Sports]