The Los Angeles Lakers have been very quiet in regards to upgrading their roster. It's a bit ironic considering how loud the moves the Lakers have made elsewhere have been.
They hired JJ Redick as their head coach and drafted both Dalton Knecht and Bronny James during the 2024 NBA Draft. Los Angeles also agreed to a two-year $101 million extension with LeBron James. But an under-the-radar move the Lakers made during the 2024 NBA free agency period was re-signing guard Max Christie.
Max Christie gives Lakers reliable 3-and-D guard
Max Christie's four-year, $32 million deal was hardly the most notable contract that got signed in free agency, but it looks to be a good one already. Christie has already shown he's capable of being an impact two-way player. He's a tremendous defensive player thanks in part to his 6-foot-8.25 wingspan.
Christie's size at 6-foot-6 and 190 pounds makes him the ideal archetype to chase around the numerous guards the Lakers have to deal with. In addition to that, Christie is an excellent rebounder. He averaged 5.4 rebounds on a per-36 minute basis last season. Christie ranked 41st among guards in that department and ahead of guys like James Harden and Donovan Mitchell.
While the majority of Christie's contributions come defensively, he is also a plus offensively. That's most evident as a shooter, especially on catch-and-shoot jumpers. Christie has shot 37.8% from three for his career through two seasons as a pro. That number goes up to 39.86% when looking exclusively at catch-and-shoot shots according to NBA.com.
Christie is also a willing driver who can finish over the top of defenders. He's not the best playmaker out there, but he usually makes the right play and keeps the machine rolling. He very much looks the part of an impact role player who could be a starter on the right team. The Lakers should think of themselves as the perfect squad for him to do just that.
It's time to free Max Christie
The lack of a meaningful role for Christie has been met with plenty of consternation among Laker fans. He's proven that he can be an impactful player for them off the bench, but that belief wasn't shared among head coach Darvin Ham. Christie averaged 12.5 minutes per game in his rookie season.
It's understandable to not throw a rookie into the fire. But last season wasn't much better when it came to Christie getting burn on the court as his minutes per game average got bumped up to only 14.1. This was despite the fact that Gabe Vincent – their midlevel exception signing last offseason – and Jarred Vanderbilt combined to play 40 of a possible 164 games.
Ham never gave Christie a real shot despite a very clear need and reason for him to do so. Vanderbilt and Vincent were the Lakers' two best perimeter defenders last season and were hardly available. He tasked the likes of Taurean Prince and Cam Reddish to defend the opposing team's best guards, which went horribly.
As a result, the Lakers 17th in the NBA in defensive rating last season according to NBA.com. The Dallas Mavericks (which is misleading because they took a big step defensively after the trade deadline), Milwaukee Bucks, and Indiana Pacers were the only playoff teams who were worse than the Lakers on that end.
The lack of moves by the Lakers during the 2024 NBA free agency period must mean they have confidence in Vanderbilt, Vincent, and Christie to improve their shaky defense last season. Perhaps that will bear fruit. But giving Christie a large role will help with that immensely.
They paid the man. Now it's time to play him.
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