Montrezl Harrell 'leaning toward' picking up his $9.7M option with Lakers?

Montrezl Harrell recently seemed to hint at a departure from the Lakers, but he may actually return to the Purple and Gold in Los Angeles.

Eric Pincus wrote an article for Bleacher Report that was published on Thursday. In the article, Pincus discussed Chris Paul’s future and whether the Lakers could swing a deal for the point guard. A possible deal with Phoenix would likely involve Harrell and his salary being traded. However, that would require Harrell to opt into his $9.72 million contract for the season.

Pincus says that “the most recent intel on Harrell suggests he may be leaning toward opting in.”

When Harrell signed his two-year, $18.98 million deal with the Lakers last year, it was regarded as a steal. However, Harrell struggled to find a role on the Lakers and hardly played in their playoff series against the Suns. That, plus his social media activity, led some to believe he was heading elsewhere.

Harrell, 27, averaged 13.5 points and 6.2 rebounds last season.