LOS ANGELES — Dallas Mavericks wing Max Christie was on the Lakers’ team bus after scoring 15 points in their Feb. 1 victory over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden when he received a phone call that changed his life.
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka, while Christie was heading back to the team’s hotel in New York City, immediately added Lakers coach JJ Redick to the call – which was a sign to Christie to expect something.
What Pelinka told Christie was life-changing information that became public not long after the call: the third-year wing was being included in the blockbuster trade that brought star guard Luka Doncic to the Lakers and sent 10-time All-Star big man Anthony to Dallas.
“Just a lot of emotions,” Christie said of the immediate aftermath of the call. “Phone call happens, you get told the news and you just have to right away, first off you compartmentalize and you feel everything, but you gotta move on to a new team, a new place.
“And phone calls are made to try to get you to transition smoothly and whatnot, but calling my family and friends and letting them know about what happened. A lot of moving parts and there’s a lot to explain, but at the end of the day, it is a business and this is what we sign up for.”
Christie, 22, was back in Los Angeles as the Mavericks visited the Lakers on Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena – the first time the teams have squared off since the trade the shocked the entire NBA.
“A little bit,” Christie responded when asked after the Mavericks’ Tuesday morning shootaround if it was “weird” being back in Los Angeles but as one of the Lakers’ opponents.
“Being here and not being like in my own apartment or coming here this early to the arena to do a shootaround is a little unique for me. But I’ve had a lot of baskets in here and I feel very comfortable here, so the weirdness has subsided a little bit.”
Christie added: “I didn’t expect to be as, not emotional, but just to feel the feeling that I felt. Just coming back here and a lot of memories in this place, a lot of memories in this city. It’s cool to be back though.”
Christie, who the Lakers drafted in the second round in 2022, spent the first 2½ seasons of his career with the team. He expected Tuesday’s game would help provide closure three weeks after the trade,
“This is a good step for me in the right direction to move on,” he said. “To be here for a different team, trying to win against the Lakers is something I can’t say until now. It’s interesting, I’m looking forward to [Tuesday]. And at the end of the day, I’m just looking forward to having fun and trying to win a game. It’s nothing more than that.”
“I think this is a good step for me in the right direction to move on.”Mavericks wing Max Christie’s response when asked if his first game against the Lakers tonight in Los Angeles will help provide closure:
— Khobi Price (@khobiprice.bsky.social) 2025-02-25T23:44:18.819Z
Christie has stepped his game up since joining the Mavericks, averaging 15.3 points (50% shooting – 43.6% from 3-point range), 4.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.1 steals in his first eight games.
“Max, since the day I took the job, was someone that I was very high on,” Redick said. “Really, him and [Jalen Hood-Schifino] were the first two guys that we got our hands on because we weren’t with the Summer League team all that much. Just feel very invested for the rest of my life in his career.
“He’s someone who, throughout our time together, was given more opportunity and became someone who starred in his role. He has a lot of freedom in Dallas that, frankly, he didn’t have here. At some point, he would have had it here, but I’m really happy to see him succeeding.”
Christie was playing the best basketball of his brief career – showcasing high-level 3-and-D play – up to that point with the Lakers before being traded. Christie averaged 10.9 points (45.5% shooting – 39.5% from 3-point range) and 3.2 rebounds in his 24 games as a starter before being traded. The Lakers also regularly tasked him with guarding opponents’ top ball-handler.
“Every single person on that coaching staff, from [Head Video Coordinator Michael Wexler] to JJ as the head coach, they were super cool to me,” Christie said. “And they really took good care of me, and I appreciate them a ton, and still to this day.
“There’s no bad blood between anybody in the Lakers. I have nothing but love for everybody, and JJ’s comments obviously mean a lot to me. He’s a coach that really believed in me. He gave me an opportunity, and he allowed me to play through a little bit of adversity that I had early in the year. And he trusted me again to put me out on the floor, and that goes a long way for me and my belief in myself, and that’s not just JJ, but everybody on the coaching staff as well. They were awesome to me, and I really appreciate everything they [did] for me and helping me take steps to develop my game even further.”
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