Dallas keeps a role player it cannot afford to lose
Naji Marshall is not the name on the marquee in Dallas. He might be the one the Mavericks least wanted to let walk. On Sunday the club signed the 28-year-old forward to a three-year extension worth a reported $52.2 million, fully guaranteed, tying him to the franchise through the 2029-30 season.
Marshall arrived in Dallas as a free agent who did a bit of everything and asked for none of the spotlight. He answered with a career year, averaging 15.2 points a game in 2025-26 while defending across three positions. The Mavericks paid for the version of him they already know.
Try it for $0.99.
How the money breaks down
The new deal kicks in during the 2027-28 season at $18.2 million, then steps down to $17.3 million and $16.7 million over the following two years. That descending structure hands Dallas flexibility later, when bigger contracts start crowding the books.
For a player who went undrafted out of Xavier in 2020, a guaranteed eight-figure salary reads like a full-circle moment. Marshall spent four seasons in New Orleans building a reputation as a connector before Dallas bet real money on him keeping it.
What it means for the roster
Locking in Marshall gives the Mavericks a known quantity on the wing while the rest of their offseason takes shape. Continuity carries value in a Western Conference that reloads every summer, and Dallas just bought itself three years of it.
Discover the rest of our NBA news on MathODDS!
in your pocket.
Real-time notifications & alerts
Leave a Reply