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Klay Thomspon was shocked when the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic and he then got another shock from his new teammate Max Christie. Thompson revealed in his press conference after the 129-128 OT loss to the Sacramento Kings on Monday that for years, he thought Max was the son of the opposing head coach Doug Christie.
“I thought that was Doug Christie's son for like years," Thompson said. "I clarified that with him and they're not related. Same measurables you know? 6'6" off guard.
"I've been incredibly impressed with Max, what a great addition," Thompson added. "I’ve had great success with Michigan State guys in my career, and he’s just another one. They come in, they know how to defend, they are team players, and he has such a bright future in this league."
Thompson was, of course, referring to his former Golden State Warriors teammate Draymond Green there. He sees some similarities between Green and Christie.
Getting back to the topic at hand, Thompson isn't the only one to have been mistaken about these two. Many thought Max was Doug's son when the Los Angeles Lakers drafted him with the 35th pick of the 2022 NBA Draft, and it's only over time that it's become clear that's not the case.
Doug does have three children, but none of them are in the NBA. Max, meanwhile, does come from a basketball family, but one that has no relation to Doug's. His real father, Max Sr., played college basketball at Parkland and Wisconsin–Superior. He didn't go pro, however, choosing to become an aircraft pilot instead.
Max's mother, Katrina, meanwhile, played college basketball at Northwestern and scored over 1,000 points. She too decided against going pro, though, and became a psychotherapist. While the parents had to abandon a career in sports for one reason or another, their children didn't have to.
Not only is Max in the NBA, but his younger brother Cam is too. The Los Angeles Clippers selected Cam with the 46th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. The two brothers got to play against each other in the NBA for the first time when the Lakers faced off against the Clippers on Jan. 19, 2025. It was quite a special moment.
Time will tell if Cam has what it takes to carve out a long career in the NBA but his elder brother certainly will be around for a while. Max is shining for the Mavericks and has become a fan favorite in Dallas. The 22-year-old is averaging 17.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.8 steals per game for the Mavs while shooting 57.9% from three.
In Thompson's press conference, he was asked if he knew Christie could shoot this well and admitted he didn't.
"I did not, but he has a beautiful jump shot," Thompson stated. "Great arc on the ball, backspin, and you can’t leave him open."
Christie is unlikely to keep shooting that well, as he only shot 37.3% from beyond the arc for the Lakers. While the percentages might regress, what won't go down is the effort he puts in on the court. That's what has endeared him to Mavericks fans and he has given them a reason to smile after Doncic was traded away.
Christie will be in action next when the Mavericks take on the Warriors at American Airlines Center on Wednesday at 9:30 PM ET.
More must-reads:
- Lakers coach JJ Redick issues challenge to Bronny James
- Jayson Tatum provides constructive criticism on LeBron James' golf swing
- The 'NBA Summer League MVPs' quiz
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Mock 4-Team Trade Has Warriors Sending Jonathan Kuminga to Kings, Heat Landing Malik Monk
One of the biggest storylines thus far during the NBA offseason is the ongoing saga between the Golden State Warriors and restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga. Of course, Kuminga’s role with the Warriors in the future is uncertain after he fell out of Steve Kerr’s rotation last season after Golden State acquired Jimmy Butler at the trade deadline. Because of this, many expected Kuminga to leave in free agency, which would have to come via a sign-and-trade, though there has not been a ton of teams interested in him thus far. According to ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel, the Sacramento Kings and Chicago Bulls are the two likely trade suitors for Kuminga this summer and he released a four-team mock trade on Monday that would send the Warriors’ young forward to the Kings. In the trade, the Warriors would acquire Devin Carter and a 2027 top-eight protected first-round pick from Sacramento and Haywood Highsmith from the Miami Heat. The Kings would land Kuminga from the Warriors while the Heat would acquire Malik Monk from Sacramento and KJ Martin from the Utah Jazz. For the Jazz, they would acquire Terry Rozier, a 2029 first-round pick and 2027 second-round pick from the Heat. This is an interesting trade for every team involved and also one that the Warriors may not be completely interested in due to their high asking price for Kuminga. It has already been reported that the Warriors shut down an offer from the Kings that included Carter, Dario Saric and a protected first-round pick and they would receive the same compensation in this deal with them adding Highsmith instead of Saric. Despite this, adding a young guard in Carter would be a massive boost to the Warriors’ guard depth and also their future while Highsmith would give them a solid forward off the bench. While that may be the case, the Warriors may elect to look elsewhere to find a new home for Kuminga this offseason or they could end up keeping him around as well.
Yankees’ Max Fried Makes Feelings Clear Before Trade Deadline
The New York Yankees acquired several talented veterans after superstar outfielder Juan Soto walked in free agency this past offseason, with southpaw pitcher Max Fried (12-4, 2.62 ERA) chief among them. They signed the latter player to an eight-year, $218 million contract, and he's given them their money's worth thus far. Fried leads New York's pitching staff in wins and ERA. The 31-year-old is also tied for third in baseball in wins, is 11th in ERA, and is 11th with a 1.03 WHIP. Still, the Yankees could use pitching help, given that ace Gerrit Cole is out for the year after getting Tommy John surgery, and 2024 AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil will make his first start of the season on Sunday. Fried was asked after Tuesday's bout with the Tampa Bay Rays if he's anxious to see what New York does ahead of Thursday's Trade Deadline, via SNY. "You've just got to take care of business every day," he said. "That's not something that we can control...We have baseball games to win." The Yankees did just that on Tuesday, beating the Rays 7-5 in a comeback effort. Fried earned his 12th win after allowing four runs (two earned) in 6.2 innings to go with nine strikeouts and two walks. The veteran also tossed a career-high 111 pitches. Over the last few days, the Yankees acquired third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies and fellow third baseman Amed Rosario from the Washington Nationals. They also traded pitcher Carlos Carrasco to the Atlanta Braves for a player to be named later or cash. New York will face Tampa Bay again on Wednesday and Thursday.
Maple Leafs Top Prospect Shatters Expectations at World Junior Showcase
The World Junior Summer Showcase is in full swing, and Maple Leafs top prospect Ben Danford is shattering expectations, truly proving how good of a player he can be. The Toronto Maple Leafs' defensive prospect, Ben Danford, is among the 44 players who were invited to Hockey Canada's World Juniors Summer Showcase. Hockey Canada finally unveiled the 44 prospects who will head to Minnesota for the showcase, after they held the roster release back while the organization dealt with several injuries, which begins Sunday and runs through August 2 in Minneapolis. Defensive prospect Ben Danford is the only Maple Leafs player invited to the annual showcase, where Canada's World Junior staff will get their first look at what their team might look like for the 2026 World Juniors, which will also take place in Minnesota in December. Danford is being called the best player at the World Juniors Summer Showcase Danford has been exceeding expectations, and one source revealed that he has been the best player at the World Junior Showcase so far. The source said Danford is steady, smart, and hard to ignore on the ice. 'Ben Danford has been the best player at the World Junior Showcase he's steady, smart, and impossible to ignore. Makes every shift count, whether he's breaking up plays or starting the rush. Canada's blue line is in good hands.' - An unnamed source The Maple Leafs selected Danford with their first pick (31st overall) at the 2024 NHL Draft. During his visit to Toronto's development camp earlier this month, the defender revealed that he's receiving mentorship from current Leafs defensemen as well as some alumni like Mark Giordano. The 6-foot-2 Danford could make for an excellent fit for Canada should he make the team. He is responsible in his own end, and he demonstrated leadership capabilities when he was named captain of the Oshawa Generals ahead of the 2024-25 OHL season.
Unlikely Tigers OF has historic game as team's offensive outburst continues
The Detroit Tigers have been unstoppable at the plate lately, and Tuesday night was no different. The Tigers defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks, 12-2, giving them 27 runs in the last three games. A big contributor to their offense on Tuesday was outfielder Wenceel Perez, who joined Sam Crawford (1912), Ossie Vitt (1915) and Ty Cobb (1924, 1916, 1915) as the only four players in franchise history to have a single, double, triple and two stolen bases in the same game. Perez began his historic night with a double off Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt in the second inning before adding a single in the fourth. A monster fifth inning put the Tigers ahead 8-2 after an early 2-0 deficit, which set the stage for a three-run sixth inning that included this triple from Perez off Arizona's Jake Woodford to give Detroit a 10-2 lead. Perez scored two more runs, one in the sixth and the other in eighth, to give the Tigers their final two runs in a 12-run outburst. Overall, Perez had three hits in five at-bats, scored four runs and added one RBI to go with his historic statline. Given his performance over the past month, it was surprising to see Perez show out against Arizona. After all, he did not have a single hit the last two games, and he only recorded more than one hit once in 20 games the entire month coming into Tuesday. The Tigers were once the hottest team in baseball when they held a 59-34 record on July 8. Since then, they suffered a slump that includes a six-game losing streak. Suddenly, Detroit has won its last three and scored 10 or more runs in two of those victories. As good as the offense has been, the pitching has been solid as well with the Tigers outscoring their opponents 27-7 during the three-game stretch. Yes, the last two wins have come against a struggling Diamondbacks team that sits fourth in the NL West with a 51-57 record. Still, they have taken care of business and won handily. The next step is getting healthy and having someone to pair with ace Tarik Skubal in the rotation. Right-hander Chris Paddack was added to the 26-man roster and is set to start Wednesday, while free agent signing Alex Cobb is beginning his rehab assignment. The Tigers will go for the sweep of the Diamondbacks on Wednesday before traveling to Philadelphia for a weekend series against the Phillies. It will be difficult to top Perez's historic outing from Tuesday, but if momentum is any indication, the Tigers may only be getting started, especially if the pitching depth is there.
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