Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell gets candid on impending free agency

No player has enjoyed a bigger midseason resurgence than D'Angelo Russell. Last December, the Lakers guard was averaging 10.2 points off the bench, often sitting out the entire fourth quarter for being a liability on defense. His stock was at an all-time low, so much so that teams were reportedly unwilling to take on his contract in trades. 

The new year brought with it good kismet for Russell, who more than doubled his production in January, averaging 22.7 points as the starting point guard. The Ohio State product has remained a 20-point scorer since. He no longer gets abruptly benched for erring on defense. His coach trusts his shot-making ability. And on most nights, his team needs his production to stay alive in games.  

Russell has likely earned a big payday with his recent production. The former No. 2 overall pick has a player option worth $18.6 million for next season that he is expected to decline. 

In a recent interview with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Russell made it clear that he'd like to remain with the franchise that drafted him in 2015. 

"I'd love to be here and continue to give it a run and be where my feet are now," Russell said. "Obviously, I've been on the other side of it, and I've been through the roller coaster of free agency and having to sit back and wait. I’m looking forward to not having to worry about that. 

"I've been blessed enough to put myself in this position with my play. I'm definitely planning on taking advantage of that. When that time comes, I feel that everything will play out how it's supposed to play out."

Russell was on track to lock up a long-term contract with the Lakers last season, too, but many insiders felt his subpar performance in the playoffs cost him a payday. As such, the guard entered this season under immense pressure. 

"It's definitely pressure [to play for a contract]," Russell admitted. "It's something that can eat a lot of people up in the league. A lot of people can be too high at times and too low at times, which causes an emotional roller coaster through the ups and downs of the season. For me, I wanted to control that. I wanted to stay sane and stay even-keeled through the ups and the downs."