The Max Christie saga has been among the more confusing chapters in recent Los Angeles Lakers history. Los Angeles invested the No. 35 overall selection in the 2022 NBA Draft in his upside, but rarely utilized him during the length of his rookie-scale contract.
Despite the reluctance to provide him with opportunities to play and prove himself, the Lakers have ensured that he'll be with the team for years to come.
Christie re-signed with the Lakers this summer on a four-year, $32 million contract. It's an affordable deal that projects to consume less than five percent of the annual salary cap after the 2024-25 season, when it'll check in at a mere 5.08 percent.
On a recent episode of The Hoop Collective, Brian Windhorst of ESPN stated that re-signing Christie was not only an upside play, but a declaration of intent to give him big minutes in 2024-25.
"Their big signing, quote-unquote, was Max Christie. And they signed him to that contract with the intent to play him a lot. So they're going to play Austin Reaves, they're going to play Christie."
It's an undeniably promising sign that the Lakers are invested in seeing what Christie can accomplish after failing to provide him with the opportunity to thrive during his first two seasons.
Lakers guard Max Christie will finally receive significant playing time
Christie shot the lights out as a rookie, converting 41.9 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc. Despite his efficiency, he was given just 12.5 minutes per game in the 41 outings during which he saw the court.
Christie continued to shoot relatively well during his sophomore season in the NBA, burying 35.6 percent of his attempts, but received just 14.1 minutes of action during his 67 games played.
It was a baffling truth considering the Lakers ranked No. 24 in the NBA in three-point field goals made in 2023-24. General manager Rob Pelinka clearly saw enough, however, to believe that new head coach JJ Redick will be able to do more with Christie than former sideline leader Davin Ham.
Windhorst's report lends credence to that assumption, as Los Angeles has already invested in Christie without following through on providing him with the opportunity to play through his mistakes.
In 2024-25, Christie projects to be a part of a second unit that should play at a significantly higher level than it managed to in 2023-24. Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent both project to be healthy, which offers an instant reason for intrigue considering they played a combined 40 games last season.
Christie should slot into the backup shooting guard role, with 2024 first-round draft pick Dalton Knecht likely working the wings alongside him.
Christie has flashed impressive upside when he's seen the court, with defensive intensity and efficiency as a shooter indicating 3-and-D potential. Talent certainly isn't an issue, as his status as a five-star recruit coming out of high school and Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors in 2021-22 display.
It's up to Christie to make the most of the minutes provided to him, but it appears as though he'll finally receive consistent playing time in 2024-25.