Coming into the 2024-25 season, Max Christie was one of the most talked about players on the Los Angeles Lakers roster. After a promising second season, many expected Christie to take a leap in Year 3 as there was legitimate excitement about him growing into an important two-way player for the team.
Unfortunately, things did not start off well for Christie as the pressure seemed to get to him. His shot wasn’t falling and he was making mental mistakes on both ends of the floor that saw him fall out of head coach JJ Redick’s rotation a couple weeks into the season.
But instead of folding, Christie used it as motivation and completely turned his season around. After some strong showings off the bench, Redick would insert Christie into the Lakers’ starting backcourt next to Austin Reaves where he would thrive as a reliable shooter, solid rebounder for his position, and the team’s best perimeter defender.
Double-digit scoring nights and defensive highlights became the norm for Christie as he quickly looked to be a core piece of this team’s future for many years to come. But sometimes, unexpected things come along that change the course of history and that was the case when superstar Luka Doncic suddenly became available from the Dallas Mavericks and the Lakers pounced on the opportunity presented to them.
In addition to star big man Anthony Davis, the Lakers also sent Christie to Dallas in the deal and while it was certainly tough to let him go just as he was coming into his own, it was a move the Lakers had to make. And Christie would immediately show the fans in Dallas exactly why the Lakers viewed him so highly.
Christie would appear in 46 games for the Lakers with 26 starts, averaging 8.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists while shooting 36.8% from 3-point range. Those numbers improved with a bigger role in Dallas as he averaged 11.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 32 contests for the Mavericks.
2024-25 Highlight
Max Christie had already more than earned his starting role by the time hosted the Portland Trail Blazers in their first game in the year of 2025, but this contest showed the peak of what he is capable of.
With Anthony Davis out, the Lakers needed an offensive boost from somewhere and Christie provided that with a career-high 28 points on 9-of-16 shooting and 5-of-9 from 3-point range to go along with three rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block in the Lakers’ eight-point win.
2025-26 Outlook
Christie is viewed as an important piece of the Mavericks both in the present and future. Whether he is starting or coming off the bench, Christie will play a big role for this team with both his defense and his growth on offense both as a shooter and in his ability to attack off the dribble.
Still under contract for at least two more years, Christie can focus solely on continuing to improve his game and making a big impact for his new team.
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