Most NBA fans thought they were being pranked when they found out the news that the Dallas Mavericks had moved on from Luka Dončić. Despite establishing himself as one of the best players in franchise history, general manager Nico Harrison sent the 25-year-old to the Los Angeles Lakers in return for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a first-round draft pick.
While the talking points of the trade were Dončić and Davis, Christie was equally shocked, perhaps more so because he was fresh off a solid 15-point outing in a 128-112 win over the New York Knicks when Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka broke the news to him.
Max Christie Was in Denial on Being Traded by Lakers
The Lakers selected Christie as the 35th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. He made his debut during a Summer League game against the Miami Heat, scoring five points and nine rebounds in a 100-66 win. The former Michigan player was signed on a rookie deal that summer before re-signing on a four-year, $32 million deal in July last year.
Christie was averaging 8.2 points per game with the Lakers this season when Pelinka informed him he was part of the blockbuster three-way trade. The young guard was shocked and revealed he couldn’t sleep through that night.
“I had my suspicions when I got that call,” Christie, 22, told Andscape. “The emotions at that moment obviously were pretty overwhelming. And then going back to the hotel room, I got zero seconds of sleep that night. I was up from 12 [a.m.] to 8:15 [a.m.] I had a flight the next morning at 8:30 to go to Dallas. I was in denial a little bit, at first. I can’t believe this is happening…
“If you look at the magnitude of that trade, it magnifies that emotion. So, I was shocked, man. I was on the floor in the hotel room for two hours just thinking about what was going on.”
Christie’s reaction is justified, but being a professional, he understood the reality of the situation and packed his bags the following morning and is now focused on his new team.
“I eventually came to my senses, obviously, and had to put one foot in front of the other and think about what I needed to do next. So far, I’ve had a good job just kind of settling in and just trying to stay present. That’s the biggest thing for me is just being present here, trying to help this team win games.”
The 22-year-old has indeed done a good job, perhaps better than he did in LA, and is averaging 15.3 points per game with the Mavericks.
Christie returned to Los Angeles to face the Lakers for the first time after the trade on Tuesday night, but the Mavericks lost 107-99. While it was largely deemed a revenge game for Dončić, who put on a triple-double showing, Christie said he had no “bad blood” with the Lakers.
“I’m not even looking at this game as a ‘revenge game,’” Christie said. “I’m actually looking forward to it from a sense that I get to see old teammates, old colleagues, old coaches.”
“But I’m not going in there with any bad blood or any intention of trying to drop 40 on them. I’m just going in there to try to win the game, play my game, and let the game come to me.”
Max Christie got some nice cheers after being introduced as a Mavs starter. pic.twitter.com/Wsp1xPwzOx
— Lakers Nation (@LakersNation) February 26, 2025
Christie nonetheless had an impressive outing, scoring 10 points, six assists, and one rebound. The Mavericks currently sit ninth in the Western Conference and will next face the Charlotte Hornets on Feb. 28.
