Max Christie became a popular member of the Los Angeles Lakers and he is now making a name for himself with the Dallas Mavericks after being part of the blockbuster Luka Doncic trade last year.
Christie was a key starter for the Lakers and begun to find his way in the NBA before being dealt in the surprising trade. In what was a chaotic night, the 23-year-old shared his emotions and how he reacted to getting traded for the first time, via The Old Man and The Three:
“We’d just beat the Knicks in New York by 10 or 15, we were feeling good. We were kind of rolling at that point. I had started maybe 15 to 20 games in a row at that point for us. We’re on the way back to the hotel, we were staying the night. On the team bus, and Rob Pelinka and JJ (Redick) kind of called me at the same time. And this was around th deadline and so, Rob didn’t call me all that often, like every now and then.
“But as soon as my phone started ringing and I saw it, I kind of had an idea. But I didn’t want to assume. And then he basically told me what was going on, and zero sleep that night for sure. I didn’t sleep at all. At all. I was pretty shook.”
To be involved in a trade of that magnitude is a rarity and Christie did not know how to feel emotionally as he needed to go through it to gain experience:
“Yeah, I mean you see it all the time. Like growing up and then even I stayed on the Lakers through two trade deadlines and seeing teammates get traded, seeing guys around the league get traded and you don’t really know what it’s like until you’re a part of something like that. I just happened to be a part of probably one of the biggest ones ever. So, I was honestly pretty numb, I didn’t even know what to feel, you know what I’m saying? It was something on such a large scale. But, I mean, I’m very happy where I’m at.”
Fortunately, Mavericks fans quickly saw the potential in Christie and he has become a quality 3-and-D player for them. Nothing will take away the stain of trading Doncic away, but at least the former Michigan State Spartan can play in an environment where it is now focused on development.
Playing next to Cooper Flagg should be a beneficial experience for Christie, along with getting more starting minutes to further continue his growth as well, while acquiring Doncic has obviously worked out well for the Lakers.
Austin Reaves keeping tabs on Anthony Davis, Max Christie
Despite criticisms surrounding what the Lakers gave up in the Doncic deal, Anthony Davis and Christie meant a lot to the organization in Los Angeles. Austin Reaves knows it as well, as he continues to remain in touch with Davis and Christie despite not playing together anymore.
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