The Lakers’ first move of free agency was made official Saturday afternoon, with the franchise announcing it had re-signed Max Christie.
While the organization didn’t announce the terms of the deal, Christie is returning on a four-year, $32 million contract, with the final year of the deal being a player option, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Christie was slated to become a restricted free agent last Sunday when teams were officially allowed to start negotiating deals with free agents not previously on their rosters, but the Lakers and Christie agreed to a new contract an hour before that negotiating period opened.
In a new league rule, teams could start negotiating with upcoming free agents who finished the just-completed season on its roster the day after the NBA Finals ended June 17.
The 21-year-old Christie, who doesn’t turn 22 until February, was the Lakers’ second-round draft pick in 2022 (No. 32 overall).
He’s shown flashes of a 3-and-D skill set in his two seasons with the Lakers, specifically as an on-ball defender, spot-up shooter and defensive rebounder. His role fluctuated last season under previous coach Darvin Ham.
Since joining the Lakers, Christie has averaged 3.8 points and two rebounds and shot 37.8% on 3-pointers in 108 regular-season games (10 starts).
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During head coach JJ Redick’s introductory news conference June 24, Redick and Lakers General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka mentioned Christie when discussing the organization’s player-development plans.
The free agency moratorium, a period in which teams may not sign most free agents or make trades, ended at 9:01 a.m. Saturday.