Dallas Mavericks guard Max Christie looking forward to return to Los Angeles

SAN FRANCISCO – Max Christie was “feeling pretty good” while taking the Los Angeles Lakers’ team bus back to their hotel after scoring 15 points in a road win against the New York Knicks’ … until he suddenly got an odd phone call just before midnight arrived on Feb. 2.

It was Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka who also had head coach J.J. Redick on the line with a stunning message. Christie was told that he and nine-time NBA All-Star Anthony Davis were in a blockbuster trade to the Dallas Mavericks for five-time All-Star Luka Doncic. Christie’s call came about 15 minutes before the world found out.

To say that Christie was emotionally affected by the news then and now is an understatement.

“I had my suspicions when I got that call,” Christie, 22, told Andscape after a 126-102 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Sunday. “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. 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.”

Tonight, Doncic will face the Mavericks for the first time since the trade with his Lakers in Los Angeles. While Davis is out due to injury, this will be the first time that Christie will face his former employer.

The Lakers selected Christie out of Michigan State with the 35th overall pick in the second round of the 2022 NBA draft. The shooting guard spent two seasons primarily as a reserve before signing a four-year, $32 million deal on July 6, 2024. Christie has averaged 10.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.7 3-pointers made per game in 29.3 minutes per game as a starter this season (25 for the Lakers, two for the Mavericks).

While tonight’s matchup could have a revenge type of feel for Doncic, Christie views it as a “homecoming game” that he wants to win.

“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. I’m looking forward to just enjoying that game. I want to win, obviously. The Lakers are a playoff team. They’re really, really good. It’s a good test for us as a matchup, as a team as well.

“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. I’m not going to go out there and force 25 shots. That’s not what this game is about. That’s not what I’m about.”

So far, Christie appears to be a sneaky notable pickup for Dallas from a production, age and salary standpoint.

Christie is averaging 15.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists while shooting 43.6% from 3-point range in 32.6 minutes per game in eight contests with Dallas. The 22-year-old scored a season-high 23 points in a win over Houston on Feb. 8. Aside from scoring two points against Golden State, Christie has scored at least 15 points in every other game with the Mavericks. He says his role with Dallas “is a lot different” than it was with the Lakers.

“Every new team has a different change of scenery,” Christie said. “Everybody has different situations with their offensive, defensive schemes and whatnot. I was just trying to stay present and play my game and be aggressive. With the circumstances with this team now, we got a little bit of injuries. A.D. [Davis] is out…

“I just control what I can control. I can’t control whether they’re going to start me or not. To be honest, it’s really not that important, starting versus coming off the bench. At the end of the day, I need to impact the game in some shape or form.”

Thompson and Mavericks All-Star guard Kyrie Irving have been impressed with their new teammate. Thompson actually thought that Christie was the son of Sacramento Kings interim head coach Doug Christie for years. Thompson, a renowned sharpshooter, added that Max Christie was a “pleasant surprise,” and he was impressed with his shooting ability.

“I clarified that with him, they’re not related,” Thompson said recently. “They both have the same measurables: Six-foot-six off-guard. I’m incredibly impressed with Max. What a great addition. I’ve had great success with Michigan State guys in my career. He’s another one. They come in knowing how to defend. They are great players. He will have a bright future in this league.”

When asked about what impresses him about Christie’s play, Irving said recently: “His poise and his skill level just iso-ing. And also, just making plays off the dribble on offense, coming off pick and rolls to allow it to flow, being there to catch and shoot. He’s doing a lot of the great nuances you need to be a great perimeter player on both ends of the floor.”

While more than three weeks have passed since the big trade, Christie says he is still adjusting off the court.

Christie said he had “a nice comfortable living in L.A.” with friends. His brother, Cam – a rookie for the Los Angeles Clippers – stayed in the same Los Angeles apartment complex, and the brothers often attended each other’s games, time permitting, in Los Angeles. In Dallas, however, Christie feels unsettled, calling it “unique” living in a hotel room temporarily. He has been challenged to get to know “a lot of new faces real fast.”

“I have moments still in my room or when I’m alone where I’m like, ‘I can’t believe that I’m still here,’ ” Christie said. “I’m very present where I’m at. I’m very happy to be here. It’s really nice to get to know my new teammates and we’ve been winning a lot of games so far since I’ve been here. But I’m still human.

“There are definitely moments where I’m like, ‘I was in L.A. for two and a half years and I felt very, very comfortable there.’ And then I just kind got uprooted and left, which is the business of the NBA and that’s how life works.”

The NBA All-Star break did allow Christie a chance to mentally regroup thanks to his family.

Christie went back to his hometown of Chicago during the All-Star Break. He spent a lot of time hanging out with his brother and parents. Christie is also a big proponent of psychology and mental health. His mother, Katrina, is a licensed psychologist who specializes in mental health. He was also recently seen reading, “The Pursuit of God: A Journey into Intimacy with the Divine,” a 2015 A.W. Tozer novel pushing Christians to deepen their relationship with God.

Christie says he is happy in Dallas.

“I needed it for sure, a lot. And it grounded me,” Christie said of going back to Chicago. “It was good to kind of get a reset and not really worry about everything that was going on with all the moving parts I have over there. I have a phenomenal team that has been able to take care of that for me. But it was good to just relax for a sec, take a deep breath, be able to spend time with the three people that are closest to me and the three people that mean the most to me in my life.

“It was reinforcing what I already know, which is being where your feet are, be present and be yourself unapologetically. Believe in God. Give glory to God. That has helped me a lot on this journey.”

There was a promising sign for the Mavericks when Davis took part in a shooting workout prior to Sunday’s game against Golden State. Davis suffered a left adductor strain in his Mavericks’ debut on Feb. 8 after logging 26 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks in 31 minutes and has been out since. It’s uncertain when Davis or the Mavericks’ other injured centers – Dereck Lively, Daniel Gafford and Dwight Powell – will return.

Christie believes the Mavericks (31-27) will be tough to beat on both ends of the floor once they regain full strength with Irving and Davis leading the way.

“All our bigs, Gaff, Lively, Powell, A.D., our defense is going to be unbelievable,” Christie said. “Teams aren’t going to be able to get shots up at the rim because we have so much length in the paint. And then, A.D., obviously offensively, we know what he’s capable of. Gafford and Lively are elite lob threats. Dwight Powell brings a punch with his physicality as well.

“We’re going to be really good when we’re healthy. And the fact that we’re able to stay afloat right now so far with the small ball we’re playing is really good for us. When those guys come back, the amount of juice and punch they bring on both sides of the ball is going to good for us.”

ESPN reporter Tim MacMahon contributed to this report.