The Los Angeles Lakers are approaching the 2025 NBA trade deadline with a clear idea of who will shape the franchise's future. A list of all-but-untouchable players has been revealed, with some obvious names making the cut.
Less significant than who's on the list, however, is the player who was omitted from it: Current starting shooting guard Max Christie.
Christie re-signed with the Lakers on a four-year, $32 million contract during the 2024 period of free agency. He struggled early in 2024-25, but has since turned things around and provided Los Angeles with invaluable two-way contributions.
According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, that unfortunately hasn't been enough for Christie to make the list of untouchables.
"Competing executives have also told B/R that the Lakers (at least to date) have shown no interest in discussing trades that include Rui Hachimura or Dalton Knecht (or, obviously, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, Bronny James, etc.)."
It's possible that Christie is on the list but was simply omitted from Pincus' article, but one can't help but wonder if his absence means he's available in negotiations.
Max Christie not listed as a Lakers untouchable in trade rumor
Christie struggled to find playing time under previous head coach Darvin Ham, which had some questioning if he'd return to Los Angeles for the 2024-25 season. The front office clearly saw his value, however, signing him to the aforementioned four-year deal.
It was a tough start to his new beginning in Los Angeles, but the 21-year-old has rewarded the Lakers' faith by emerging as one of the team's most valuable players.
Christie failed to score in double figures in any of the Lakers' first 10 games, but he's since done so 11 times in 24 appearances. It's become an even more common trend since he became a full-time starter on Dec. 8.
In 12 games as a starter, Christie is averaging 12.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.9 three-point field goals made on .489/.442/.917 shooting.
For as intriguing as that may be, it appears as though the Lakers haven't yet seen enough to rule him out as a potential trade piece. It's somewhat understandable, as Christie is a role player who hasn't yet put together a full season of high-level contributions.
One simply can't help but wonder if the Lakers can afford to give up on a productive 21-year-old wing who shoots efficiently and plays defense given their NBA Draft situation.
Los Angeles will be without first-round draft picks in 2025 and 2027, and is widely expected to either trade or lose 2023 selection Jalen Hood-Schifino to free agency. As such, giving up on a promising young player on a team-friendly contract would be a dangerous decision with such limited resources to replace them.
Untouchable is a difficult term to apply to anyone who isn't a star, but as the Lakers scan the market for affordable veterans, giving up on a potential building block would be a disastrous decision.