Our player preview series for the 2026 Clippers continues with second-year Cam Christie, who is likely in for another season of being a deep bench fixture with extensive stints in the G-League.
Basic Information
Height: 6’5
Weight: 195 pounds
Position: Shooting Guard
Age: 20
Years in NBA: 1
Regular Season Stats: 1.4 points, 0.9 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.4 steals, and 0.2 turnovers in 4.5 minutes per game across 13 games played (0 starts) on 29.2/15.4/50 shooting splits with 34.9% TS
Contract Status: Is in the second year of a four-year deal making $1.96M this year with non-guaranteed money next year and a team option the following season
Expectations
Cam Christie’s expectations are the same this year as last year, which is to say he has just about none. Still only 20 years old on a deep, veteran team, a lot of players would need to get injured for Cam to have a real role on the Clippers. Instead, it’s most likely that he spends a lot of the year in the G-League once more, and rides the pine when up in the NBA. I hope that his shot falls more this year than his first season in the pros, and that he continues to get stronger to be more effective on offense and defense. Still, it’s very unlikely we see any of that in NBA games that matter.
Strengths
Cam’s biggest strength as a prospect is his three-point shooting, as he has a beautiful, natural, and clean outside shot with fairly good results to match. That shot did not go in at a high rate in the G-League or in his brief NBA stints, but the Clippers have given no indication that they’ve lost trust in him as a shooter. If Cam is to have a real NBA career, it will probably be on the back of his jumper turning out to be a legitimate weapon.
Cam offers full shooting guard size at 6’5 with a solid wingspan, and as a frame that should fill out as he gets older. Thus, even if he’s not a plus defender now, there are no physical limitations on him becoming a competent defender as he gets more experience and adds more strength.
Weaknesses
Right now, Cam’s weaknesses are that he has not shown anything as an NBA player. He’s not a tremendous athlete, which limits his upside on both ends of the court. Cam’s handle is fairly rudimentary, mitigating his ability to create shots for himself off the dribble. And, finally, he’s just not strong enough to push past players on offense when attacking the rim or keep in front of opposing drivers on defense. Even though the tools are there, Cam is not ready to be an NBA rotation player yet. And, for a player his age that was drafted in the second round in a bad draft, that’s fine!
Summary
This is sneakily an important year for Cam, even though it’s his 2nd season and he’s only 20. After this season, his next contract year is non-guaranteed, and the year after is a team option. Thus, if he disappoints or does not progress, the Clippers can very easily move on from him. Cam is young, has a gorgeous looking shot, and pedigree, but your chance in the NBA can evaporate quickly. Even if Cam doesn’t really get a shot in the NBA this season, I think he will be on next year’s Clippers’ roster as long as he continues to improve and do what the coaching staff asks of him. Hopefully he makes strides in his sophomore campaign.