Gophers' Cam Christie selected by Clippers in second round of NBA draft

Christie is the first Gopher to be selected in the draft since Daniel Oturu in 2020.

Minnesota guard Cam Christie (24) shoots a 3-point shot against Nebraska guard C.J. Wilcher (0) during the second half at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Neb., on Feb. 25, 2024. / Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports

Cam Christie's dream of becoming an NBA player is officially a reality.

The Los Angeles Clippers selected the former Gophers men's basketball standout with the No. 46 overall pick in the second round of the NBA draft on Thursday, making Christie the first Gophers player to be selected in the draft since Daniel Oturu was drafted in the second round in 2020.

Only five Gophers players have been drafted since 2000, and Minnesota is yet to produce a first-round prospect since Kris Humphries was taken No. 14 overall in the 2004 draft.

Meanwhile, there's only one other former Gophers player currently on an NBA roster — Amir Coffey, who played for Minnesota from 2016-19 — and he happens to play for the Clippers.

Christie will now join up with Coffey, former Gophers standout, in Los Angeles on a team that was the fifth seed in the Western Conference last season, albeit a team that faces some uncertainty this offseason. Christie will also be in close proximity to his brother, Max, who plays for the L.A. Lakers.

Christie made an immediate impact as a freshman for the U last season, quickly working is way into the starting lineup, where he was positioned for 26 of the team's 33 games.

Christie was Minnesota's second-leading scorer at 11.3 points per game while shooting 40% from the field and 39% from 3-point range. Christie also averaged 3.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.

Christie is the type of prospect the NBA loves: a young player — he won't turn 19 years old until July — who's demonstrated NBA-level skill and who also has a lot of potential and high upside. Christie was always expected to be a second-round selection, but his name came up more and more as a potential first-round selection after strong showings with several teams in pre-draft workouts.

While Christie didn't end up as a first-round selection, he is a versatile player who's clearly an NBA talent. He primarily played the 2 with the Gophers, but he was thrust into point guard duties a couple times throughout the season, a position Christie played in high school. Standing at 6-foot-6, 190 pounds, Christie could easily translate to either of the guard positions on the next level.

While Ben Johnson and the Gophers certainly would have loved to have Christie in Dinkytown for another year, the U takes pride in developing talent and helping players reach their ceiling. Johnson knew Christie was an NBA talent, and that became a reality Thursday night in the NBA draft.