The Los Angeles Lakers’ world changed during an early February night, right after superstar forward LeBron James posted a monster 33-point triple-double in a win against the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden.
The Lakers were clicking at the right time. But that no longer mattered. Because a big part of the Lakers’ midseason momentum was the play of superstar big man Anthony Davis, who was sidelined for that game against the Knicks. Just hours later, Davis was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. But he wasn’t the only Laker who was shipped to the Lone Star State that night.
Beloved Former Lakers Guard is Open to a Reunion
Along with Davis, the Lakers sent young guard Max Christie to Dallas. Like the Lakers, Christie was quickly gathering momentum. He was establishing his role in the rotation and emerging as one of the very few young talents on L.A.’s roster. Surely, Lakers fans would love to see Christie back in L.A. And surely, Christie wouldn’t mind a reunion.
“I do,” said Lakers journalist Jovan Buha when asked if Christie, 23, would welcome a reunion. “I talked to Max after he got traded. He was sad. He was really bummed. He wanted to be a Laker.”
Christie had no plans of leaving Los Angeles, and the Lakers perhaps had no intention of trading Christie, who recorded 15 points while shooting 6-for-10 from the field in his last game as a Laker. But it is not like the Lakers gave up Christie for anyone. They only got some guy named Luka Doncic, who last we checked is comfortably leading the league in scoring and is once again making a bullet-proof case for the league MVP award.
Could L.A. Trade for Christie?
Especially with how the Lakers’ back up guard rotation has looked as of late, L.A. could make good use of another ball-handling playmaker. Although the Lakers are much more likely to expend their remaining tradable draft assets to acquire a dependable back up big man, reuniting with Christie wouldn’t be a bad option.
But would Dallas trade the young star back to L.A.?
“I think the question is would they give him up to the Lakers,” Buha said of the Mavs. “… One of the things they’ve been able to hold on to is not only the pick they got, but it’s, ‘Oh, we got Max.’ Again, I know his development has stalled a bit there. Now your return from the Luka trade is just gonna be one pick.”
One thing to note is Christie’s play as of late. The former second round pick immediately impressed after arriving in Dallas following the trade from the Lakers, averaging over 11 points per game in 32 appearances for the Mavs in the 2024-25 season. Last season, Christie posted a career-high 12.3 points per game while cashing 40.4 percent of his 3-point attempts. But through 11 games this year, Christie’s numbers have plunged across the board.
Christie could still be an awesome addition for the Lakers, who might be one of the busiest teams around the midseason trade deadline.
Lakers Receive Good News as Beloved $32M Star ‘Would Welcome’ a Reunion