Mavs' $7,142,857 role player in Luka Doncic trade clears the air about 'bad blood' before face-off against Lakers

The Luka Doncic trade sent shockwaves throughout the league. The trade that sent Anthony Davis and Max Christie to the Dallas Mavericks and brought Luka Doncic and Maxi Kleber to the LA Lakers is set to have a long-term effect on the league and teams' front offices.

Right after the trade, one of the most trending searches on the internet was the next Lakers vs Mavericks game. It has finally arrived, but Max Christie doesn't believe in the "bad blood" and revenge narratives that are floating around before the game.

The Christie and the Mavericks are set to face the Lakers on Tuesday at Crypto.com. However, the $7,142,857 former Lakers player [per Spotrac] said that it wasn't a revenge game for him, but a chance to meet his old friends and old team.

"I’m not even looking at this game as a revenge game," Christie told Andscape's Marc J. Spears. "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."

Christie also added that he wasn't going to force anything on the offense when he took the court:

"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."

Former Lakers player expects fire from Luka Doncic against Mavs in first matchup since trade

Trading Luka Doncic was already painted as a horrible move by Mavericks GM Nico Harrison and a legacy move of Rob Pelinka for potentially saving the Lakers from another few years of playing with a certified star when LeBron James retires.

The move was a surprise for Doncic since the decision was made without his knowledge and former Lakers player DeMarcus Cousins believes nothing less than fireworks from the Slovenian star on Tuesday.

Cousins made a guest appearance on the "Run It Back" show on Monday alongside Chandler Parsons and Lous Williams and said that it was going to be a statement game for Luka Doncic.

"When I made my return to the team that traded me, I was a shark in bloody water. I expect nothing less from Luka" Cousins said. "I think it's gonna be a lot of emotion. ... I think he is coming out firing right away. I think he is gonna try to put a statement.

Luka Doncic is coming off an impressive game against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday. He scored 32 points along with 10 rebounds, seven assists and four steals.