The Los Angeles Lakers have made a decision on the future of their lone pick from the 2022 NBA Draft. LA selected Max Christie out of Michigan State as the No. 35 overall pick, and it is clear that they want to keep him for the foreseeable future.
In a press release published on Friday, the Lakers announced that they have officially signed Christie to a contract (h/t Ryan Ward of Lakers Nation):
Lakers officially sign rookie Max Christie: pic.twitter.com/FGpAUg1eVA
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) July 9, 2022
As the release states, however, the details of Christie's contract were not revealed. Nevertheless, it looks like this development will lead to the 19-year-old getting his chance with LeBron James and the Lakers this coming season.
On their official Twitter account, the Lakers also posted a photo of Christie with general manager Rob Pelinka during his contract signing:
Article Continues BelowContract inked. Welcome to the league, Rook ♜ pic.twitter.com/Ghng9PRPhL
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) July 9, 2022
You have to note that the Lakers did not actually have a pick in the draft. They had to make a trade to acquire the No. 35 pick, which could be an indication of how they've had their eye on Christie for some time now.
Christie, a 6-foot-6 guard, played just one season with Michigan State last year before entering the NBA Draft. As a freshman, he averaged 9.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.1 triples in 30.8 minutes per game. He's no star, but there's also no denying that Christie has a lot of untapped potential in him.
Lakers icon Magic Johnson previously shared how excited he is with LA's decision to select Christie. The Max Christie hype train is picking up steam and Lakers Nation is pretty giddy about this young man.