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Max Christie Rumors
That fact might seem like a technicality to some, as Dončić is widely expected to commit to a long-term Lakers future at some point. But the Lakers learned a long time ago that star players don’t always decide to stick around, as they traded with Orlando for Dwight Howard in the summer of 2012 only to see him head to Houston in free agency a year later. And when it came to the Mavericks-Lakers trade talks that led to the deal, league and team sources say Dončić’s uncertain long-term status was the primary reason the Lakers were able to avoid giving up their 2031 first-round pick in the deal (Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first went to Dallas).
Brad Townsend: Max Christie says he’ll obviously be following brother Cameron and the Clippers in the playoffs, but as for his former team, the other LA team? “I’ll be watching them, but most importantly I’m a Maverick now. I’m going to support my ex teammates, for sure, but I’m not holding onto the Lakers. I’m a Maverick. That’s a big part of my identity.”
Davis headlined a package from the Lakers that also included promising wing Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick. Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka used the secretive nature of the discussions, which Harrison deemed necessary in part to prevent Doncic and his agent Bill Duffy from having any influence, as leverage in the trade talks. "We targeted AD with our philosophy of defense wins championships," Harrison said. "We wanted a two-way player to lead our team and that was Anthony Davis. And so everybody's going to have their critics and I'm not sure what Mark said, but that's a better question left for him. But we got what we wanted."
Dave McMenamin: Former Lakers guard Max Christie shared an embrace with Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager, Rob Pelinka after finishing his pregame workout in Dallas tonight. Anthony Davis walked towards the tunnel without crossing paths with Pelinka, however. pic.x.com/f3HlzkKmkZ
"In the monthlong process of the Luka Doncic trade discussions, of course, you're thinking about the players you may possibly have to trade in a deal like that, AD and Max Christie," Rob Pelinka, Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager, told ESPN. "[But] one of the people I was thinking of the most in my head was just AR, because I knew how close he had gotten to Max and AD and I knew bringing in another primary ball handler would have implications for him."
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Dončić was traded to the Lakers on Feb. 2 in a deal that sent Anthony Davis and Max Christie to Dallas. Powell said both new additions have made a strong impression. “Competitors. They’re here for the right reasons, and they want to help us be successful,” Powell said. “That’s all you can ask for in this league. So I’m excited to get everybody kind of get the chemistry going, and I think we’ve seen glimpses and I think we’ll continue to see more. Just excited for everybody to continue to grow together.”
But all of that––including MacMahon’s book––was upended just after midnight on February 2, when ESPN’s resident NBA scoop-hound Shams Charania broke the news that the Mavericks were trading Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for star big man Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a future first-round draft pick. MacMahon, like pretty much everyone else, was flabbergasted by the trade. But his shock quickly gave way to urgency. “I was like, Oh yeah, we need to add another chapter,” MacMahon said.
Christian Clark: Mavericks players who are available today: Max Christie, Spencer Dinwiddie, Kessler Edwards, Naji Marshall,Dwight Powell, Klay Thompson, PJ Washington, Brandon Williams
Mark Cuban: 'If the Mavs were going to trade Luka Doncic, that’s one thing... but get a better deal'
Interviewer: Was your son upset about the trade? Mark Cuban: Yeah. Interviewer: Were you? Mark Cuban: Of course. And like I’ve said before, if the Mavs were going to trade Luka, that’s one thing—but get a better deal. No disrespect to Anthony Davis, but I firmly believe if we had gotten four unprotected first-round picks, Anthony Davis, and Max Christie, this would be a different conversation.
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Interviewer: Who’s your son’s favorite player? Mark Cuban: It was Luka, but now it’s Max Christie. He did a hard shift. Interviewer: He was with you at the game in L.A., right? Mark Cuban: Yeah, yeah. But my middle daughter’s favorite was Quentin Grimes, and she was really upset when we traded him. Interviewer: How did your son react to the trade? Mark Cuban: About the same as I did. Interviewer: Did you have to break it to him? Mark Cuban: No, I knew maybe five minutes before everyone else did. Interviewer: Did you tell him ahead of time? Mark Cuban: I didn’t know ahead of time.
Mavericks expressed interest in Jimmy Butler and Kyle Kuzma before acquiring Anthony Davis
Before the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic in a blockbuster deal to acquire Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round draft pick, the team also expressed interest in Jimmy Butler and Kyle Kuzma, league sources told HoopsHype. PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford briefly came up in trade talks for Butler, but exploratory discussions didn’t go far, league sources told HoopsHype. At the time, Miami sought starting-caliber players on short-term deals who could help the Heat compete this season while giving them financial flexibility for the future as part of a trade package for the disgruntled Butler. This offseason, representatives for Gafford (Klutch Sports Group) and Washington (LIFT Sports Management) are expected to engage in extension talks with Mavericks management, league sources told HoopsHype.
Max Christie on the day he was traded to Dallas: 'I got zero seconds of sleep that night'
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.”
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