Michigan State freshman wing Max Christie has entered the 2022 NBA. He has done so without hiring an agent, thereby preserving his eligibility should he decide to return to the Spartan program for his sophomore season.

Christie announced his decision via Instagram on Friday afternoon.

“My dream has always been to play in the NBA,” Christie wrote. “And I am excited to announce that I will enter my name in the 2022 NBA Draft process. I am humbled to have this amazing opportunity, and I look forward to receiving an accurate assessment and feedback from the NBA on where I stand. I want to thank my family, my teammates, Coach Izzo and his entire staff, and all the great Spartan fans for their support throughout this past basketball season. As I go through the process, I will maintain my college eligibility. I am excited for the new challenges this journey will present, and I thank everyone in advance for their support.”

A McDonald’s All-American and 2021 Gatorade Player of the Year in Illinois as a senior at Rolling Meadows High School, Christie averaged 9.3 points and 3.5 rebounds per game as a freshman at Michigan State, while tying senior Marcus Bingham for the second among the program's scoring leaders this past season.

Christie led Michigan State players in minutes played as a freshman. He started each of the 35 games he played for Michigan State as a freshman.

WHAT IT MEANS: Given his status as a McDonald’s All-American coming into the Michigan State program, it should come as no surprise that Christie is taking a closer look at making a jump to the NBA. It is fairly clear from the wording of Christie’s Instagram post that he plans on making an informed decision regarding his basketball future on the basis of feedback from NBA front office personnel. With Gabe Brown declining a super-senior year, Christie is the only proven wing in the Michigan State program at present. Losing Christie would be a significant blow, and the Spartans would find it difficult to find an adequate replacement through the NCAA transfer portal. A starting wing tandem of Christie and Jaden Akins next season packs a lot of potential for Michigan State, with Pierre Brooks playing a good chunk of minutes coming off the bench. Without Christie, Michigan State has a far lower ceiling on both ends off the court.

STAY OR GO: If Christie returns to Michigan State he will have an opportunity to be the go-to scorer that the Spartans lacked this season. Another off-season in Michigan State’s strength and conditioning program would also give Christie the strength he needs to win match-ups with the physically mature defenders that Big Ten teams routinely threw at him as the top priority on defensive scouting reports. With increased strength, Christie can more effective in ball screens than he was as a freshman. Christie, who is also a good student, will be one year closer to getting his college degree. That may not matter for some guys, but Christie appears to take academics seriously. One could argue that Christie could improve his body and his game in the G-League just as easily as he could by returning to Michigan State. Then again, a second year in a demanding college program is beneficial for a lot of players. Having some seasoning and maturity going into the pro ranks is often the difference between sticking at the NBA instead of shuttling back and forth between the NBA and G-League.