Michigan State freshman Max Christie announced in early April that he would explore the possibility of going pro without signing with an agent, signaling that he could return to school.
On Monday, Christie closed the door on that possibility. Per Adrian Wojnarowski, he will remain in the 2022 NBA Draft pool and move forward with going pro.
“Michigan State freshman G Max Christie will stay in the 2022 NBA Draft and hire an agent, sources tell ESPN,” said Woj. “Christie, an All-Big 10 freshman team selection, is participating at the Chicago Pre-Draft Combine this week.”
Michigan State freshman G Max Christie will stay in the 2022 NBA Draft and hire an agent, sources tell ESPN. Christie, an All-Big 10 freshman team selection, is participating at the Chicago Pre-Draft Combine this week.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 16, 2022
Christie started 35 games this past season for the Spartans, averaging 9.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.5 blocks, 0.5 steals, and 1.5 turnovers in a team-high 30.8 minutes a game. A five-star recruit out of high school, Christie was a strong defender, often matched up against the opponent’s top offensive threat. He finished the season with a plus-65 plus-minus rating.
Christie has shown up in a lot of mock drafts in the first round, so the news that he would go pro isn’t terribly surprising to many in basketball circles. But the news certainly got a lot of people talking on Monday after the latest WojBomb.
Been trending this way for a while. Christie still has a ton of interest from NBA teams even though his season didn’t go incredibly well. https://t.co/GWlLrY2IRE
— Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) May 16, 2022
Despite an up-and-down year, Max Christie has all of the tools to entice NBA Teams as an upside wing.
Big news for the 2022 #NBADraft https://t.co/AEOl955roW
— No Ceilings (@NoCeilingsNBA) May 16, 2022
Well then. https://t.co/tV50pqQ50m
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) May 16, 2022
Don’t think this is exactly a shocker in East Lansing.
You’re up, Jaden Akins. https://t.co/XPZ2PlwbK0
— Brendan Quinn (@BFQuinn) May 16, 2022
Interesting move here: https://t.co/zjHaObi3tA
— John Fanta (@John_Fanta) May 16, 2022
Bad news for Michigan State. Stats don't reflect it, but Max Christie was by far their most important player for next season.
Without him, looking at their roster, well… there just isn't all that much there https://t.co/VOssMYitav
— Aaron Torres (@Aaron_Torres) May 16, 2022
June 1 is the withdrawal deadline for prospects in the NBA Draft, so it remains possible he could double back and return to college. But it sure sounds like Christie is moving on to the bigs.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.