The Los Angeles Lakers had every reason to trade Max Christie to the Dallas Mavericks. For as painful as it was to lose a rising 3-and-D player who had shown clear signs of promise, the return was a genuine superstar in five-time All-NBA First Team honoree Luka Doncic.
With the Mavericks reportedly willing to trade anyone but their franchise players, the Lakers should do what they can to bring Christie back to Los Angeles.
The Lakers drafted Christie at No. 35 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft and re-signed him in 2024 to a four-year, $32 million contract. Though he struggled to secure playing time under former head coach Darvin Ham, he began to excel during JJ Redick's first season at the helm.
The Lakers may have a chance to explore Christie's fit once more after Marc Stein of The Stein Line reported that Dallas is willing to trade any player but Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving.
"The Mavericks are believed to be willing to discuss trades for anyone on the roster not named Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving, but that hardly guarantees that a Davis deal will materialize before the Feb. 5 trade buzzer."
With Christie excluded from the list of untouchables, it would behoove the Lakers to explore paths to reacquiring a player who fits their needs on both ends of the floor.
Lakers must capitalize on report that Max Christie is available in trade
Christie has turned in an excellent 2025-26 season despite the Mavericks' general inconsistency. He's currently averaging 12.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 2.4 three-point field goals made in 28.6 minutes per game, shooting at a tremendous clip of .493/.466/.850.
A knockdown shooter who flashed that very potential at 37.3 percent from beyond the arc between two-and-a-half seasons with the Lakers, Christie could resolve a pressing offensive issue.
Los Angeles currently ranks No. 25 in three-point field goals made and No. 26 in three-point field goal percentage. It's also dead last in catch-and-shoot three-point field goal attempts and No. 24 in catch-and-shoot three-point field goal percentage.
Christie, meanwhile, has the best catch-and-shoot three-point field goal percentage of any NBA player converting at least 2.0 attempts per game.
On the other end of the floor, Christie is quietly emerging as one of the best defensive wings in the Association. He ranks in the 97th percentile in off-ball chaser defense, the 93rd percentile in perimeter isolation defense, and the 90th percentile in ball screen navigation, per Basketball Index.
Christie hasn't achieved that status against low-profile players, either, as he ranks in the 93rd percentile in matchup difficulty as a defender.
With a strong case for being an elite 3-and-D player, Christie's potential fit with the Lakers is clear to see. He'd not only be able to help space the floor alongside ball-dominant playmakers in Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves, but would provide the top-tier defense Los Angeles simply lacks along the wings.
It's unclear what the asking price will be for Christie, but it would behoove the Lakers to do what they can to bring a fan favorite who they never wanted to lose back to Los Angeles.