Group chats are in chaos. If you glance away from your phone for even a moment, you come back to a flood of new ways your friends have found to be furious about The Trade. For Mavericks fans, the All-Star break was no respite—just another stretch of time for the NBA world to dissect what happened to their team. Luka Dončić will be wearing a Lakers jersey when he takes the court against Dallas next week. Everyone is processing the shock in their own way. But for those struggling to move on, there will be no shortage of reminders keeping the frustration alive.
Returning to those group chats—my guiding light in moments of basketball confusion—positivity has been scarce. Maybe five percent of my Mavericks-related conversations have been remotely optimistic over the past two weeks. A tiny fraction of that optimism surfaced in the first half of Anthony Davis’s lone game as a Maverick. The rest? A recurring theme: “OK, Max Christie is nice.”
With only 10 starts before this season, the 35th pick in the 2022 draft has unexpectedly become the lone reason some fans can rationalize this trade from a basketball perspective. Talk of the Mavericks’ championship “window” has dominated discussions, with many believing the team must win a title in the next couple of years for the trade to be considered remotely justifiable. Much of that speculation centers on Davis’s health and whether the soon-to-be 31-year-old can sustain elite play. To be fair, he’s been close to that level over the past two seasons.
However, even if Davis performs at his absolute peak, that alone might not be enough to push this team to the top. The roster still needs more, and few players in the locker room have significant room for growth. (Side note: This shift in the fan experience is a major adjustment. With Dončić’s Mavericks, there was confidence that their best version could compete with anyone—because they had proven it. With Nico Harrison’s Mavericks, there’s more hoping, guessing, and wishful thinking.)
Christie, though, is the exception. He has unexpectedly become one of the most crucial elements of what many consider one of the most shocking trades in league history.
The Rise of Max Christie
Christie entered the NBA as a five-star recruit from high school and spent one season at Michigan State, earning Big Ten All-Freshman honors. Though he didn’t dominate at the college level, his athleticism, basketball IQ, and physical tools were enough to get him selected early in the second round. Scouts praised his defensive potential, both on and off the ball, and saw an offensive player who could do a little bit of everything—just not at a high enough level yet. His shooting percentages weren’t great, but his free throw numbers suggested room for improvement. If everything clicked, he had the makings of a strong two-way wing.
And so far, things are clicking.
Christie showed enough promise in his first two seasons with the Lakers that Rob Pelinka—who might as well have won the 2025 Luckiest Person Alive award—gave him a four-year, $32 million contract last summer. Had he been on a rebuilding team, he likely would’ve played more, but the fact that he carved out a role on a competitive Lakers squad speaks volumes.
For years, Mavericks fans have hoped for Josh Green and Jaden Hardy to take that next step. Christie, it seems, already has. By December, he was a full-time starter, logging 30 minutes a night. His efficiency improved as his volume increased. This wasn’t just a hot streak—he had firmly established himself as a legitimate starting-caliber player on a good team. Christie’s trajectory suggests he’ll have a long and lucrative NBA career, and he’ll likely always be valued in trade talks because “good teams always need players like Christie.”
Can Max Christie Be More Than a Role Player?
Great, the Mavericks added a young, above-average starter. That’s nice. But what really excites people is the possibility that Christie’s ceiling is even higher. The real question floating around: Are we sure Max Christie can’t be great?
It’s a bittersweet discussion, but also a fair one.
I didn’t pay close attention to Christie’s first two seasons, but when the Lakers played in Dallas this January, he caught my eye. If you assume he’s just a 3-and-D wing, he’ll surprise you. Even while sharing the floor with Anthony Davis, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves, Christie occasionally initiated the offense. Front office executives love players with untapped potential—the “we think he could do more here” guys. The difference is, teams don’t usually trade a Hall of Fame player in his prime to find out.
Now in Dallas, Christie is already showing flashes of expanded responsibility. He’s attacking the rim more often, recording 14 and 11 drives in games against Golden State and Miami, respectively—his two highest totals of the season. His free throw attempts per game have doubled since arriving in Dallas.
Defensively, his impact is evident and should only grow with increased minutes. The real question is whether his offensive game will develop enough to elevate him from a solid starter to a potential All-Star. The Mavericks’ coaching staff deserves credit for empowering him immediately (though, to be fair, they don’t have many other options). While it’s too soon to predict exactly what kind of player he’ll become, his aggressive mindset is a promising sign. His shooting stats remain inconsistent, and the sample size is too small for any definitive conclusions.
What We Know
Christie is just 22 years old and on an incredibly team-friendly contract—a crucial asset for a team that has essentially given itself a three-year championship window. He has no real physical limitations and could realistically develop into a perennial All-Defensive Team candidate. His basketball IQ has already earned the trust of LeBron James and Lakers head coach J.J. Redick. Most importantly, he’s not afraid of the moment. That alone makes him an intriguing piece for the Mavericks moving forward.
At this point, it’s impossible to analyze Christie without considering the context of how he arrived in Dallas. The irony, of course, is that he would’ve been a perfect complementary player alongside Dončić. But he also fits well with Kyrie Irving—because, in reality, Christie complements almost any point guard. Irving’s future beyond this season is uncertain, but Christie’s skill set will help the Mavericks transition into their post-Irving, post-Davis era.
He’s easy to root for. He has the potential to be the second-best player on a contending team. If you can, try to enjoy watching him figure that out in a Mavericks uniform.
