Max Christie has a real chance to make the Mavericks’ decision to move on from Klay Thompson look a whole lot smarter.
Thompson’s Dallas run never turned into what either side imagined when he arrived in the summer of 2024. He signed to play with Luka Doncic and chase an NBA Finals trip after the Mavericks had fallen to the Boston Celtics in the championship months earlier. Instead, two seasons later, Doncic was gone, Anthony Davis - whom Thompson purposely avoided in the summer of 2024 - had taken his place, and Dallas had missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since Luka’s rookie year.
That is a far cry from the title-contender script Thompson was supposed to join.
His stay ended this summer when the Mavericks bought him out and he signed with the Miami Heat. Dallas had expected Thompson to be the missing piece, the veteran shot-maker who could push them back to the Finals. Instead, he ended up on a team that won 26 games last season.
On paper, losing a player of Thompson’s caliber for nothing is ugly. He remains one of the greatest shooters in league history, averaged 12.9 points per game in his two seasons with the Mavericks, and was headed toward an expiring contract entering the 2026-27 season.
A trade seemed possible. But Dallas entered that stretch with 16 players on standard contracts, and rival teams understood the Mavericks had to cut down to 15 before the season.
That left Dallas with little leverage, and the result was a buyout after trade talks didn’t produce a deal.
Now Christie is the guy with the chance to show the move wasn’t a waste.
He stepped into Thompson’s starting spot last season and posted a career-best 12.3 points per game while knocking down 40.4 percent of his threes, his best mark since his rookie year. His catch-and-shoot game stood out, and he also showed a dependable mid-range jumper off the dribble.
Christie brings more than just shooting, too. He can finish well when attacking closeouts or running in transition, using his length, patience, and craft to get the job done. He’s not a full three-level scorer yet, but he has flashed enough to suggest he’s more than just a floor spacer.
For Dallas, the logic of moving on from Thompson was tied to the bigger picture. The team is building around Cooper Flagg and getting younger, and Thompson simply no longer fit the timeline.
He would have been the oldest player on the roster by several years. Sending him to Miami gives him a shot to contend again, while also clearing the runway for Christie.
That runway matters because the Mavericks need Christie to keep growing. He looks like the leading candidate to start at shooting guard, and with Thompson gone, his three-point shooting has to stay sharp. Dallas was one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the league last season, so every reliable perimeter threat counts.
Christie shot 43.8 percent on wide-open threes, defined as attempts with the closest defender more than six feet away. That number topped Thompson’s by 2.3 percent and gives Dallas a solid base to build on.
Mavericks fans may still miss Thompson’s reputation and resume. But Christie has the chance to turn a tough-looking exit into something that works for both sides.
In Other News...
Former Mavs Coach Airs Brutal Jason Kidd Tension From Dallas Exit
Igor Kokoskovs time on the Mavericks bench has become part of a much messier story than anyone in Dallas probably expected when he was brought in for the 2021-22 season. The former assistant coach recently spoke publicly about his departure, and the comments painted a sharp contrast between the way he has described working with Jason Kidd and the next move he made after leaving the Mavericks.
Kokoskov also pointed to the awkward dynamics around his earlier relationship with Luka Doncic, saying it complicated things during his stint in Dallas. Afterward, he said Steve Nash called him to join Brooklyn, a change that only underscored how differently those professional relationships played out. For the Mavericks, it is another reminder that the post-Doncic-support staff era in Dallas has not always been as tidy as the on-court product might suggest. [Read more 🡒]
Kyrie Irving Could Force An Early Mavericks Decision
As the new season gets closer, the Mavericks are still weighing how Kyrie Irving fits into their longer-term plans, and the conversation around their roster has started to turn toward whether they will keep him in place or eventually pivot. The idea has gained traction because Dallas is looking at every angle before opening night, and Irvings status sits near the center of that review.
San Antonio has surfaced in the speculation because the Spurs could use a veteran point guard, but nothing has been confirmed by either side. For Dallas, the bigger issue may be timing, since the front office appears ready to let the first stretch of the season help shape the decision it makes next. [Read more 🡒]
Cooper Flagg Has One Mavericks Question That Could Change Everything
Cooper Flaggs first Mavericks season left one obvious area for the organization to keep circling back to: the jumper. Dallas has now brought in shooting coach Rob Fodor, a veteran development mind whose background should give Flagg another set of eyes as he works on tightening his mechanics and expanding his range. For a young player whose shot will be watched closely from the start, even a modest step forward can reshape how defenses treat him.
The appeal for the Mavericks is straightforward because Flagg does not need to become a volume marksman overnight to change the equation. What Dallas needs is progress, and Fodors arrival suggests the team is serious about helping him get there. If that work takes hold, it could be one of the small offseason adjustments that ends up carrying a much bigger impact once the games matter. [Read more 🡒]