The Lakers are still shaping their 2026-27 roster, and one name floated as a possible midseason fix is a familiar one: Max Christie.
Los Angeles has already opened training camp, but the team is still being viewed as incomplete. The front office could use another wing who can do a little of everything, or even a reliable big off the bench, particularly if the club decides Kevon Looney doesn’t offer enough in the low post for the second unit.
That’s where Jovan Buha’s idea comes in. On Tuesday, the Lakers insider said there’s a scenario in which the team could bring back the 23-year-old Dallas Mavericks guard before the Feb. 11 deadline.
“I’d throw in Max Christie,” Buha said Tuesday. “Max, I think, would make some sense.”
Christie’s first stint in Los Angeles lasted 2.5 seasons after he arrived following a strong freshman year at Michigan State. It took him a while to carve out a real role, but by Year 3 he had become a useful rotation piece, built on steady perimeter shooting and relentless defense.
In 2024-25 with the Lakers, the 2021 McDonald’s All-American averaged 8.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 0.8 steals while shooting 36.8% from three.
He was then included in the Lakers’ blockbuster deal that sent Luka Doncic to Los Angeles and moved Christie to Dallas. With the Mavericks, he took another step forward, putting up 12.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 0.6 steals per game while knocking down 40.4% of his threes as a clean three-and-D option.
If the Lakers end up wanting more production from the wing spot during the season, Christie is the kind of trade target that could make sense for a team trying to stay in the title picture.
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The biggest short-term issue is less about star power than about finding a workable rotation around it, especially with several frontcourt players not fully available. Morez Johnson Jr. has been limited by lower-leg soreness, while Santi Aldama and Dereck Lively II are also dealing with leg-related injuries, leaving Dallas with enough talent to dream about the season ahead but still plenty to sort out before the opener. [Read more 🡒]