LA Lakers’ $32 million wing gets candid on why he re-signed with the team: "We are building something great"

Max Christie shared his thoughts when asked why he re-signed with the LA Lakers earlier this summer. The Lakers wing will enter into his third season with the Purple and Gold this upcoming season on the back of a four-year, $32 million deal.

Christie has been looked at as one of the core pieces in LA after the LeBron James-Anthony Davis era and has displayed flashes of his potential in his two seasons with the side.

Speaking to the media after a practice session at the Lakers facility on Tuesday, Christie explained the reasons behind his return:

"I wanted to come back, and we're building something great here. We got two big dogs in LeBron [James] and 'AD' [Anthony Davis], a fiery new coaching staff. It was great to get that done [the contract] before free agency. I am happy to be back, I have been working here for a while now and I am happy to get the new season rolling," Christie said.

Max Christie is one of several returning players in the Lakers' 15-man roster. He will be joined by Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, D'Angelo Russell and Jarred Vanderbilt as the team's support cast playing around their two superstars. The Lakers will be headed by first-time head coach JJ Redick who has been vocal about his plans for Christie.

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"Like the idea of us running it back": Max Christie on the Lakers fielding the same roster for the third season in a row

By his words, it appears Max Christie likes the idea of continuity and expressed as much after his contract extension with the franchise. Per The Athletic, the shooting guard believed they were a good side:

“If you kind of look at the blueprint with teams that have been winning recently, for the most part, a lot of the teams stick together for a while, right?” Christie said. “I like the idea of us kind of running it back with the group that we have. I think, on paper, especially, we’re a really, really good team."

In his two seasons in LA, Christie averages 3.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.8 assists on 42.4 percent shooting from the field, 37.8 percent from the deep and 80.6 percent from the free-throw line. While the numbers don't show much, the LA think-tank has invested in the wing with the future in mind. Last year, he was seen showcasing his defensive potential and that was proof in the pudding that the guard was trending in the right direction.

LA has fresh and competitive faces in Bronny James, Dalton Knecht and Max Christie. It will be interesting to see how they fare when the season begins in October.