Lakers Rumors: Max Christie's Potential Has Members of Organization 'Very Excited'

Despite being used sparingly as a rookie, Max Christie could be set for an increased role with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Per Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times, the Lakers are "very excited" about Christie's potential heading into the offseason.

The 20-year-old was Los Angeles' second-round draft pick (No. 35 overall) last year. He only appeared in 41 games, averaging 12.5 minutes and 3.1 points per contest.

While it would be hard to draw any big conclusions from those numbers, there were some encouraging signs that do suggest Christie could be a key contributor in the NBA. He was an 87.5 percent free-throw shooter and connected on 41.9 percent of his three-point attempts.

B/R's Jonathan Wasserman noted in his draft scouting report that Christie's "high school and FIBA tape—plus a believable stroke—have teams willing to buy his long-term shooting development." Wasserman also noted Christie has the ability to make "jumpers off spot-ups, screens and pull-ups."

While Summer League rosters have yet to be announced, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Christie on the Lakers' squad for a second consecutive year. The Michigan State alum struggled in 2022 with a 22.2 three-point percentage in five summer appearances last season.

Assuming LeBron James doesn't retire and plays next season, the Lakers are going to need more shooters to step up if they want to take the next step after being swept in the Western Conference Finals by the Denver Nuggets.

Christie may not be a focal point of the offense in 2023-24, but he can put himself in the mix to be a key role player for head coach Darvin Ham if he takes a step forward in his development.