The Dallas Mavericks held off on contract extensions for a few players before the start of the season, including 2023 first-round picks Dereck Lively II and Marcus Sasser.

One negotiation that flew under the radar was for starting shooting guard Max Christie. He could be a free agent next offseason, as he has a player option worth $8.8 million for the 2027-28 season, and a lot of fans wanted to see him extended.

Christie is a good shooter, but his ceiling is pretty limited compared to others on the roster. With a new regime in place, it made sense to sit back and evaluate how he plays in a new system.

Through three games, it hasn't looked great for Max Christie. He's averaging 8.7 PPG, and his usually steady shooting is now 4/17 (23.5%) from deep.

No one on the roster has taken more three-pointers than Christie, yet three other players have at least that many makes: Kyrie Irving (6), Marcus Sasser (8), and P.J. Washington (4).

To be clear, it's very early in the season, and we've yet to have a look at the full roster, as key pieces like Santi Aldama and Dereck Lively have yet to play, Flagg got injured in the first half of the Indiana Pacers game, and Kyrie Irving missed Saturday's game against the San Antonio Spurs.

It's a new system with a lot of moving parts, but there has arguably been no player more disappointing than Max Christie in the early going of the season.

Who Could Push Max Christie For Starting Spot?

If Max Christie continues to struggle this season, it wouldn't be surprising to see Dusty May shake up the starting lineup at some point, and a few different players are playing well enough to earn consideration.

Zaccharie Risacher started all of the preseason games, which made it a little surprising that he wasn't starting in the regular season. His offense has been a struggle, but he's been borderline elite defensively.

In three games, he's already recorded 7 steals and 5 blocks. Risacher made life real tough for Tyrese Haliburton against the Pacers.

Marcus Sasser has had a really strong start to the season, averaging 11.7 PPG while starting 8/14 from three. He's a pesky defender and offers enough playmaking to keep the offense moving.

The upside play would be Sergio De Larrea. He hardly played in the first two games, but with Flagg and Irving out for the game, he thrived in the third game with 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists while shooting 9/15 from three.

He still has a lot to learn, but the upside is very clearly there.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on X for the latest news.