If you were building a prototype of a perfect player for the Mavericks’ culture of 2024-25, you might not find a better fit than Naji Marshall.
A self-made rotation player for the New Orleans Pelicans, the 6-7 Marshall did it the old-fashioned way. The Maverick way.
He never got drafted. He started out in the G-League. He worked his way up to the Pelicans on a modest, multiyear contract.
Then, he showed he’s got what it takes for a lasting career in the NBA.
Sound familiar? It’s almost a duplicate of the journey Derrick Jones Jr. took to joining the Mavericks before last season. And we all know what a seamless fit he turned out to be.
Marshall has a reputation as a strong defender who can knock down three-point shots. In other words, pretty much the same job description Jones had.
Last season, Marshall averaged 7.1 points and shot 38.7 percent from three-point land. In the playoffs, which lasted only four games for the Pelicans when Zion Williamson got hurt, Marshall’s numbers went up. He averaged 9 points and shot 40 percent from deep.
Those are all good signs.
But it’s his workmanlike attitude and willingness to do the dirty work that will likely make Maverick fans quickly embrace Marshall.
Marshall signed a reported three-year, $27-million free agent contract with the Mavericks on Saturday. He essentially replaces Jones, who is moving on in free agency after one breakthrough season in Dallas.
What the Mavericks are getting is a player who is hard-nosed and not afraid to mix it up on the court. He once said that if anybody messes with Pelicans’ stars Williamson or Brandon Ingram, “they got to see me.”
That attribute is what likely will endear him to superstars Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving.
Marshall started only one game in 2023-24 – against the Mavericks. He had 13 points and six rebounds and made two of four three-pointers in 31 minutes.
The highlight of his fourth season in the league came in an eight-point win at Philadelphia when Marshall had 19 points in 18 minutes, hitting all four of his triples.
But, as with Jones, scoring is a bonus with Marshall. His best asset is being able to stay in front of high-scoring wings and guards on the defensive end.
Which no doubt is what drew general manager Nico Harrison and coach Jason Kidd to Marshall.
The Mavericks became known as a gritty team that would not be pushed around after they traded for Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington in February. They have lost a couple of rotation players who fed into that persona in Jones and Josh Green.
But they are gaining a staunch enforcer. In the Pelicans’ play-in tournament victory over Sacramento, Marshall had an impactful stretch in the second quarter with two steals and a block, plus lockdown defense on the Kings’ Keegan Murray.
That helped spring the Pelicans to a nice lead that they never gave up.
Nicknamed “The Knife,” Marshall went to college at Xavier and his father, Maurice Naji Marshall, was a professional boxer in the ‘90s.
So it’s easy to see where he gets his toughness.
Below is the official news release about Marshall’s signing:
Mavericks Sign Naji Marshall
DALLAS – The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have signed forward Naji (NAH-zjee) Marshall. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“The addition of Naji enhances our team’s defensive versatility, rebounding, and playmaking abilities,” stated Dallas Mavericks General Manager Nico Harrison. “He plays with great energy, and as one of the top competitors within the NBA, we are eager to see him contribute to our success.”
Marshall (6-7, 225) joins Dallas after spending his first four NBA seasons with New Orleans, where he averaged 7.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 19.5 minutes in 230 games (36 starts) with the franchise. In 66 games (one start) with the Pelicans in 2023-24, he posted career highs for field goal percentage (.463) and 3-point field goal percentage (.387) while shooting 79.1% from the foul line.
After going undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft, Marshall signed a Two-Way contract with New Orleans on Dec. 7, 2020, and a multi-year deal with the Pelicans on May 7, 2021.
The 26-year-old was a three-year player at Xavier, where he was a Big East All-Freshman Team selection in 2017-18, an All-Big East Second Team honoree in 2018-19, and an All-Big East First Team selection in 2019-20.
Marshall will wear No. 13 for the Mavericks.
X: @ESefko
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