Max Christie is entering a contract year, but his comments about Masai Ujiri and his offseason commitment suggest he wants to be part of Dallas’ next chapter.
Max Christie is entering the most important offseason of his career and he knows it. The 23-year-old shooting guard is heading into the final year of his rookie contract and everything about how he talks and carries himself suggests a player who understands exactly what is at stake.
In an interview with Mavs.com's Dwain Price, Christie talked about how he's buying into the new front office.
“He’s very upfront and very blunt, in a good way though,” Christie said of Masai Ujiri. “He’s going to shoot it straight. He’s not going to hide anything from us. He’s someone that’s not going to sugarcoat anything and is very determined to bring us back to a winning culture, so that’s exciting.”
That kind of public endorsement from a player entering a contract year matters. Christie averaged 12.3 points, started 68 of 77 games and shot a team-high 40.4% from 3-point range last season. He was one of the most consistent players on a team that lost its best players to injury and never found its footing.
A 23-year-old wing who can shoot, defend multiple positions and play off the ball alongside a dominant creator is going to draw real interest when free agency opens and Dallas needs to get ahead of that possibility.
Christie fits cleanly next to Cooper Flagg. He does not need the ball to be effective, spaces the floor at an elite level and has already proven he can handle a starting role on a nightly basis.
His institutional knowledge also matters as a new coaching staff comes in and the roster is built around a 19-year-old franchise centerpiece for the next decade. That kind of continuity is valuable and not easily replaced.
Christie is also working on a specific area of his game this offseason.
“I think my shot quickness really is probably the biggest thing right now,” Christie said. “Last year going back, Kidd wanted me to shoot a little bit more, more threes. I think a product of that is shooting faster, so I just want to continue to add that to my game and continue to be a threat on all spots on the floor.”
A player who already shot 40.4% from 3-point range and is working to get his release quicker is a player trying to make himself harder to guard. That is exactly the kind of incremental development Dallas should want from someone who may be asked to play a major role next to Flagg and Kyrie Irving.
Christie is staying in Dallas this summer, getting to know new faces and investing in the transition the organization is going through.
“I think just being around in your market, just being around the organization, obviously we’re going through a transition period, so I’m just trying to be here, trying to get to know new faces, trying to build a little bit of camaraderie and build some culture,” he said. “It’s definitely important just to be around.”
That is a player signaling he wants to be part of what comes next. The Mavericks should make sure he is.
