Lakers News: Max Christie Eyes Bigger Role, Makes Austin Reaves Joke at Summer League

On paper, the Los Angeles Lakers are significantly better than they were this time last year. Rob Pelinka and the front office managed to retain the core of last year's playoff roster while adding players like Gabe Vincent, Jaxson Hayes and rookie first-round pick Jalen Hood-Schifino.

The offseason moves have been strong and they should have fans excited about the coming season. However, no one should discount the Lakers' ability to develop talent, which could further improve the roster during the 2023-24 season.

A year ago, Austin Reaves went from being a 2021 two-way free agent to a budding superstar—and he recently cashed in with a new four-year, $53.8 million contract. This year, 2022 second-round pick Max Christie could be poised to follow suit.

The former Michigan State guard joked that he felt like Reaves after hearing MVP chants at the free-throw line:

Those chants came during a stunning Friday night summer league performance in which Christie tallied 22 points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots. He was 6-of-11 shooting on the night and 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. This followed a 25-point outing on July 5 and a 17-point performance on July 3.

Christie's hot start to summer league play has showcased the potential L.A. saw in him at Michigan State, where he averaged 9.3 points, 1.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds. The 20-year-old credits his own work ethic for his growth.

"I don't think anything has happened by accident. I try to put in the work, I've tried to stay focused as much as I can," Christie said, per Corey Hansford of Lakers Nation.

Members of the Lakers organization have taken notice of Christie's hard work.

"His habits are very unique," Lakers assistant/summer league coach JD DuBois said, per Khobi Price of the Orange County Register. "He's always there early, takes care of his body, he eats right [and] does the extra work."

And the hard work appears to be paying off.

"I think he's matured a lot in his body," teammate Cole Swider said, per The Athletic's Jovan Buha. "He's matured a lot in his game as well. He's making a lot quicker decisions. He's able to make that midrange jump shot. He's able to shoot the 3. He's able to beat guys off the dribble and use his body and finish over guys."

Christie is driven by one simple goal: he wants to see more on-court time with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the team's starters after averaging just 12.5 minutes through 41 games last season.

"At the end of the day, I want to play as much basketball as I can and last year was a little motivation to get me to that spot," Christie said, per Hansford. "And that's all it really is. That's my mission, that's my goal."

Christie indeed appears ready for a larger role in coach Darvin Ham's guard rotation. The skills he's shown in recent days—strong defense, improved shooting and awareness—should make him a very valuable depth piece during what is expected to be a long and deep run into the postseason.

And if Christie can continue building on his summer-league success, he could potentially become much more than just a solid rotational player. He could develop into a key contributor and a building block for the future, just as Reaves did over the past 12 months.