Every time Dallas Mavericks fans ask themselves how much worse the Luka Doncic trade can get, the basketball gods seem to punch them in the gut. Anthony Davis suffered a hand injury and could miss months, severely damaging the the team's playoff aspirations and significantly limiting the star big man's trade value. Fans continue to retch when they see their former franchise keystone in Purple and Gold, but all they can do now is try to find a ray of light in the pit of darkness.
The other player who came with Davis in last February's blockbuster could provide a valuable source of hope in the coming years. Max Christie is developing into an effective contributor in his first full season with the Mavericks, scoring 16 points or more in four of his last five games. His role on offense could increase even further following Davis' latest setback.
Christie is committed to helping Dallas navigate yet another landmine, but he knows as well as anyone in the Mavs' locker room how devastating this news is for No. 3.
“Unfortunate, obviously,” the 2022 second-round draft pick told reporters on Saturday, per Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. “We want to be able to have him on the floor as much as possible just because of how dominant & how good he is for us. But it’s “Next Man Up” mentality and that’s just kind of the way the NBA works with injuries and we just gotta be able to move past it and continue to try to win games.”
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Max Christie on his reaction to Anthony Davis’ injury:
“Unfortunate, obviously. We want to be able to have him on the floor as much as possible just because of how dominant & how good he is for us. But it’s “Next Man Up” mentality & that’s just kind of the way the NBA works with… pic.twitter.com/gDXSea031M
— Mike Curtis (@MikeACurtis2) January 10, 2026
Max Christie spent more than two years in LA with Anthony Davis before the two men were traded to the Mavericks along with a 2029 first-rounder. He has seen the four-time All-NBA First-Team selection battle various injuries, so he is probably extra sympathetic. Though, according to Christie, Davis does not let this career-long trend affect his demeanor.
“He does a good job of never getting too high, never getting too low,” the 22-year-old said. “He's always staying even-keeled and his presence around us, even when he is not on the floor, is obviously great.”
The Mavs (14-24) know all too well how it is like to compete without Davis. He has logged only 29 games since arriving in town almost a year ago. Perhaps Dallas will be inspired to play for the future Hall of Fame center amid his latest injury misfortune. Christie should be especially motivated, as he returns to his home state for a Saturday night showdown with the Chicago Bulls (17-20).