"Lakers actually lost the trade" - Mavericks fans hyped for $32,000,000 wing after 6th consecutive 15-point game 

Third-year wing Max Christie was considered an afterthought in the Dallas Mavericks' widely criticized Luka Doncic-for-Anthony Davis superstar swap with the LA Lakers. However, amid Christie's consistent production to begin his Dallas tenure, some fans are changing their tune on the deal.

Christie was packaged alongside Davis and LA's 2029 first-round draft pick in the stunning Feb. 2 blockbuster trade that sent Doncic to the Lakers. While most of the talk has been about the Mavericks inexplicably moving on from a 25-year-old megastar entering his prime, Christie has quietly been thriving.

During Thursday's 118-113 home victory over the Miami Heat, Christie tallied 19 points, five rebounds, five assists, three steals, one block and three 3-pointers. That marked his sixth straight 15-plus-point outing to kickstart his Dallas stint.

In contrast, Christie, who signed a four-year, $32 million contract over the summer, averaged 8.5 points per game across 46 contests with LA before the trade.

Following his latest standout performance, fans on X/Twitter remarked on the Mavericks potentially landing a steal.

"Obviously not just a throw-in," @ProjSwarley said.

"Upcoming star," @PrizePicks wrote.

"He's so good, man. Future All-Star," @nando17celtics said.

"Christie is the bright spot in this lame trade," @85_rjk wrote.

Meanwhile, some declared that Dallas won the deal.

"Lakers actually lost the trade," @bdndog said.

"(Mavericks general manager) Nico (Harrison) fleeced," @RyanCoff wrote.

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Mavericks coach Jason Kidd on his growing trust in Max Christie

Max Christie's strong start as a Maverick appears to have already won over Dallas coach Jason Kidd, who raved about his two-way skill set on Wednesday.

"What Christie's doing on the defensive side, the challenge, and then making the right plays offensively, it's easy to trust (him), and I think for his teammates, they trust him," Kidd said.

Meanwhile, Christie spoke about his new team having confidence in him to make the right plays in crunchtime.

Despite playing shorthanded, the Mavericks (30-26) have gone 4-2 with Christie. Considering that Anthony Davis (groin) has suited up in only one game, fans may have reason for optimism once the team returns to full strength.

Through six outings with Dallas, Christie is averaging 17.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.7 blocks and 2.5 3-pointers per game. Meanwhile, he has efficient 48.6/45.5/82.6 shooting splits.

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