Could Mavericks guard Max Christie — who was included in the Luka Doncic trade — win the 2025-26 NBA Sixth Man of the Year award?

Dallas Mavericks guard Max Christie (00) looks on during the second half against the Toronto Raptors
Anthony Davis and Luka Doncic were the big names involved in February’s shocking trade between the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks this past season. In addition to a 2029 first-round pick, Max Christie was also sent to Dallas as part of the deal. Christie impressed early in his Mavs career, so what should fans expect from the 22-year-old heading into the 2025-26 campaign?

Christie likely won’t start in 2025-26. He could end up being one of the more impactful players off the bench. Christie may be able to make a significant difference with his scoring. In fact, Christie could even draw NBA Sixth Man of the Year consideration.

Max Christie: 2025-26 NBA Sixth Man of the Year candidate?

Christie won’t be the favorite to win Sixth Man of the Year heading into the season. In fact, he may not even be the favorite on his own team. If PJ Washington doesn’t start — which is only a possibility — then he could be a candidate. The same can be said for Daniel Gafford.

However, Christie features enticing scoring potential. In 2024-25, the guard averaged 11.2 points per game on 41.1 percent field goal and 36.4 percent three-point shooting across 32 games played with Dallas. 11 of those were starts, as the Mavs battled constant injury trouble this past season.

Christie, as mentioned, will come off the bench for the most part during the upcoming campaign. If he can increase his scoring to around 14 or 15 points per outing while shooting at a more efficient level, he will instantly become one of the better bench scorers in the NBA.

Christie impacts the game in other ways as well. He recorded 4.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists per outing in his brief time with the Mavericks following the trade in 2024-25. Contributing in multiple facets will only help his NBA Sixth Man of the Year case.

The Mavericks and Christie’s primary focus is on winning games. The Sixth Man of the Year award would be a nice bonus, though.