Ahead of the 2025 NBA trade deadline, the Dallas Mavericks shocked the NBA world by trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. In return, the Lakers sent Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first round pick to Dallas. Davis has dealt with injury trouble and has only played in 14 total games with the Mavs as of this story's writing. Additionally, Davis is already being mentioned as a trade candidate once again following the Mavericks' Nico Harrison firing.
In other words, the AD experiment has not gone according to plan. Meanwhile, it remains to be seen what the future first round pick will bring. As for Doncic, the new Lakers star is playing at an elite level in Los Angeles.
The trade appears to be one of the most lopsided deals of all-time. With that being said, Christie has been a positive for the Mavs.
Max Christie's big 2025-26 season with the Mavericks
Christie is receiving 29.9 minutes per outing across 19 games played (16 starts). The 22-year-old guard is shooting 49.1 percent from the field and 47.6 percent from beyond the arc.
Christie told reporters after last season that he wanted to improve his three-point shooting. The guard has clearly accomplished that goal, as Christie is shooting just a few percentage points below 50 percent through almost 20 games played. The Mavs' offense is among the worst in the NBA, but Christie certainly is not to blame.
At the end of the day, it will be impossible to justify trading a 25-year-old in the prime of his career like the Mavericks did when they moved on from Doncic last year. At the very least, Christie's impressive play slightly softens the blow. He is someone who the Mavs can build around alongside Cooper Flagg and Dereck Lively II for years to come.
