The Dallas Mavericks’ decision to move on from Klay Thompson on Friday afternoon was the kind of late-summer roster shuffle that tells you exactly where the league is right now. It was not a seismic swing, not a disaster, not even a statement so much as a move that just is.
That same moment also sharpened the case for a different name: Max Christie.
Christie, who was part of the deal that sent Luka Dončić to the LA Lakers, looks like a far more realistic target for the Indiana Pacers than he might first appear. Indiana wants more size and more shooting around Tyrese Haliburton, and Christie checks both boxes in a way that feels unusually clean.
The catch, of course, is that Dallas still has to decide whether it really wants to move a player it effectively acquired in exchange for an MVP candidate. Christie is in the final year of his contract before a player option he will almost certainly decline, all attached to the four-year, $32 million deal he signed after being drafted in the second round.
He’s only 23, even with four NBA seasons already on the books, and that alone could make the Mavericks hesitate. But the money matters here. Dallas’ cap situation makes a big extension difficult to manage, and if Christie’s next deal starts looking closer to something like Ayo Dosumnu’s earning power, the roughly $20 million annual jump he’d likely command could complicate the Mavericks’ plans two summers from now.
That issue doesn’t disappear for Indiana, but the Pacers aren’t trying to win the free agency game anyway. Dallas, with Cooper Flagg now at the center of its rebuild, absolutely is.
For Indiana, the path is more practical. The Pacers have three first-round picks available, though not all of them would have to be involved, and Jarace Walker’s expiring deal lines up exactly with Christie’s number. That gives them a real lane to chase a player who fits what they need.
And the fit is the part that jumps off the page.
If you like Aaron Nesmith, picture a second one who passes better and defends the perimeter better. If you’ve ever wondered what a fully realized Ben Sheppard might look like, Christie is something close to that, only with enough appeal that one of those remaining first-round picks could be enough to land him.
Whether he’s worth a first-rounder is still a fair question. The answer probably leans yes, but hesitation is understandable. Peyton Watson just fetched a single first, and Christie has shown more in the league while also being the cleaner, more useful archetype.
Cleveland’s move offered a reminder that one aggressive decision can change the way a season is viewed. Identity lives in the details. What can you do that other teams can’t?
Indiana has been good, but it still hasn’t quite found that edge. Adding Christie might not make the Pacers something exotic. It might do something more interesting: make them lean into what they already are.
They’re the best at being ordinary.
Christie is ordinary in the best possible way, and that makes him special.
Just like the Pacers.
In Other News...
Pacers Have One Familiar Roster Decision Still Looming
The Pacers are still carrying one open roster spot after waiving Ethan Thompson and signing Braden Smith to a two-way deal, and the timing of the next move is now part of the early-season backdrop. Indiana cannot fill that slot with a veteran minimum contract until mid-November, which leaves the front office in a familiar waiting game while the roster settles around its current core.
When that window opens, the discussion could turn back to a few old faces who already know the organization and what it expects. Bradley, Johnson and another former Pacers player are among the candidates being mentioned as possible fits, a reminder that this kind of depth decision is often about more than just talent. For Indiana, the appeal is obvious: a player who can help without needing much time to learn the system is usually worth serious consideration. [Read more 🡒]
Tyrese Haliburtons Return Could Decide How Fast Pacers Rise Again
The Pacers spent last season learning how fragile a promising build can be, and Tyrese Haliburtons absence was a big reason why. After the Achilles injury wiped out his previous year, the expectation is that he returns in the 2026-27 season to rejoin the kind of offense that had made Indiana one of the leagues more watchable teams and a legitimate threat in the East.
What makes the comeback matter is not just Haliburtons presence, but how quickly he can look like himself again. The projection is for him to settle back in as a high-level organizer who scores efficiently, creates at a premium rate and sharpens his three-point shot, while a retooled roster gives Indiana a chance to push toward the Eastern Conference Finals. The Pacers do not need him to be a miracle worker, but they do need him to be the engine again. [Read more 🡒]