Even though one star has flourished since being traded away from the LA Lakers, he is still processing the massive deal that sent shockwaves around the league.
Ahead of the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline, the two biggest dominoes to fall were by far Anthony Davis and Luka Doncic, who were swapped for one another in one of the biggest trades in league history. However, they were not the only two players included in the deal. Jalen Hood-Schifino, Maxi Kleber, Markieff Morris, and Max Christie were all included as collateral.
Since arriving to the Dallas Mavericks, Christie has flourished in a larger role, averaging 15.3 points and serving as a big reason why the Mavs are 5-4 since the trade. While he can be thrilled about his bigger role and increased playing time, the message the Los Angeles Lakers sent him is still a tough pill to swallow: you aren’t a part of our future plans.
When ESPN’s Shams Charania first announced the details of the trade on social media, fans and players alike thought it was a joke or that his accounts were hacked. However, once it was quickly revealed to be a reality, the players involved were simply in shock, and Christie was no exception.
“The emotions at that moment obviously were pretty overwhelming,” said Christie in an interview with Marc Spears. “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.”
In the days after the trade, videos showing an obviously distraught Doncic and a befuddled Davis made the rounds on social media. It seemed like no one involved in the trade initially wanted to be included, but several players have since landed on their feet.
Still on his rookie contract, Christie has two full seasons left before his $8.8 million player option. At the rate he’s improved since coming to Dallas, the Mavericks would be hard-pressed not to offer him a lucrative extension, as he is quickly becoming one of the better two-way players in the rotation.
While Christie is still getting over his initial reaction, he remains focused on the future, which so far looks bright.
“If you look at the magnitude of that trade, it magnifies that emotion,” he continued. “So, I was shocked, man. I was on the floor in the hotel room for two hours just thinking about what was going on. 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.”
Once Anthony Davis returns to the fold, the Mavericks are expected to have a short window of contention before their stars age out. After the trade, there was no doubt that Dallas would remain near the top of the standings, it was just a question of their long-term outlook without Doncic.
Between Davis, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall, PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II, and Christie, the Mavs have a solid core, and the young star went from being a role player in LA to being a very real piece in Dallas.
