Today's Mavericks reporter Noah Weber wrote an article about Clay and Christie. He believes that the latter can completely replace the former. The following is the full content.
Max Christie quickly endeared himself to fans after arriving in Dallas in the Luka Doncic trade. In the first year of the Cooper Flagg era, he took things to another level. Christie currently averages 12.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, and his three-point shooting percentage is as high as 46.9%. He has become a bright spot for the Mavericks on the offensive end and has shown the ability to replace Klay, who is averaging 9.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game so far this season.
At the beginning of the season, the Mavericks used Clay as their starting shooting guard, but soon discovered that Christie was a better choice. Klay didn't fare any better than Christie, and Kidd only needed seven games to make adjustments. Christie has been a starter since Game 4 and is expected to become a long-term starter, grow with Flagg and integrate into the team's system on both ends of the floor.
Christie has always performed well on the defensive end, often guarding the opponent's best defender and becoming a reliable defender for the Mavericks. Although Klay's performance has improved recently, it is clear that his prime is behind him. He joined the Mavericks to play alongside Doncic, but now plays for the league's worst offensive team. It makes more sense for him to trade Klay to a championship team that needs more three-point firepower. The latter's contract has two years and $34 million left to expire. It would also give Christie more opportunities to develop into a star player.
Christie is only 22 years old and still has a lot of room for growth. His off-ball movement, ball-handling skills and shooting confidence have all improved significantly, and his future potential is unlimited. He has all the conditions to become an important member of the Mavericks, and his three-point shooting and defensive abilities will be the key to the team's rotation. If the Mavericks decide to trade Klay, they have nothing to worry about, as Christie's progress has proven that he will be one of the most underrated young wings in the West.
source:7m cn net