The Lakers are sure to make huge personnel changes this offseason. Especially on the perimeter, there could be a major change, and Russell could leave. As long as James and Davis are in the Lakers, they will definitely try to compete for championships every season, but the current management is also thinking about the future, and when James retires, they must also develop more young people. To pave the way for the future of the squad, they have to keep the young players in the squad who have potential.
According to the front reporter, the Lakers are interested in providing Christie with a contract extension, which is reported to be possible for three years and can reach 15 million ~ 20 million. Christie's average minutes per game has increased significantly this season, averaging 14 minutes per game and averaging 4.2 points per game, compared to 3.6 attempts per game due to his limited number of shots with the Lakers. So it doesn't show what he's really capable of, at least at the management level, they see the potential in Christie.
In the eyes of the management, Christie does not have too many technical shortcomings, which means that he only needs to improve some of his skills in the future, and he may be able to improve himself to another level. At the end of the day, Christie is very young, and even if the Lakers expire at the end of his three-year contract extension, he is only 24 years old, and youth is Christie's capital. And as his average playing time increases in the future, he will get more workout, and he has the potential to become the core of the team in the future.
When James retires, the team will have to support the youngsters. Christie's performance on the court is one thing, and his image is also infectious to Lakers fans to a certain extent. In the eyes of many, he is just a member of the Lakers who rightfully belongs. What the Lakers need to do next season is to make Christie play as long as possible, give him more rotation time, and give him more ball. They could have given Christie more trust and more involvement in some important games.
Sometimes coaches are afraid to use young people, especially coaches like Hamm, who are very traditional. Warriors head coach Kerr is a completely different story, as the two rookies they drafted last year have both become starter-caliber players this year. That's how the gap between coaches affects young players, and maybe Christie will get more opportunities next season after the Lakers change coaches.