The Los Angeles Lakers have marked the 2024 offseason as the summer during which the youth movement has been empowered to establish its long-term value. By opting against the acquisition of veteran players and instead prioritizing up-and-coming talent, Los Angeles has finally embraced its future.
One of the shining examples of this shift in front office philosophy is shooting guard Max Christie, who re-signed with the Lakers on a four-year, $32 million deal earlier this summer.
Christie struggled to find consistent playing time under previous head coach Darvin Ham. Despite this, general manager Rob Pelinka made it a point to re-sign Christie before considering any of his other options in free agency.
In an interview with Corey Hansford of Lakers Nation, Lakers shooting guard Austin Reaves endorsed Christie as a player who will take a massive step forward in 2024-25 and help Los Angeles win games.
“He’s super athletic, can guard the ball but also is a really good cutter. And that’s something that we also talked about the other day being able to cut off ball with Bron and AD having it in their hands cause everybody’s paying attention to them. So I think Max will have one of those years where the numbers might not be crazy, but if you look at all the advanced analytics his effectiveness to winning is gonna be special.”
It's a thoughtful breakdown by Reaves, who makes a point to talk about the strategic elements that could be in play as Christie becomes a winning player in Los Angeles.
Austin Reaves believes Max Christie will have a special 2024-25 season
Christie was selected by the Lakers at No. 35 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft. He'd established himself as a pro-level prospect by earning praise as a five-star recruit coming out of high school and securing Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors with the Michigan State Spartans in college.
Standing at 6'5.75" in shoes with a 6'8.75" wingspan and an effective jump shot, Christie looked the part of a 3-and-D wing just waiting to be developed.
Unfortunately, he averaged just 12.5 minutes per game as a rookie and 14.1 during his second NBA season. There were certainly flashes of brilliance, but the inconsistent availability of playing time inevitably impacted a player who was still trying to figure out how he fit in the rotation.
JJ Redick, who was hired as head coach earlier this summer, seems to have a clearer idea of how to utilize his $32 million shooting guard.
Christie, who's still just 21 years of age, is a strong three-point shooter and a willing defender. Both of those traits will be highlighted in 2024-25, with Reaves' comments about Christie excelling as a cutter likely to come into play, as well.
The fact that Christie has overcome inconsistent playing time by knocking down 37.8 percent of his 180 career three-point field goal attempts certainly bodes well for his expected success.
If Christie continues to shoot well, his playing time will likely be far more consistent under Redick than it was when Ham was the head coach. After watching Los Angeles rank No. 28 in three-point field goal attempts, Redick has made it abundantly clear that he wants Los Angeles to shoot more freely.
If Christie is able to complement his three-point shooting with consistent defense and off-ball action, the Lakers may quickly find his four-year, $32 million contract to be a bargain deal.