Naji Marshall reaches 3-year, $27M deal with Mavs, sources say

Free agent small ahead Naji Marshall has agreed to a three-year contract value $27 million with the Dallas Mavericks, sources advised ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Sunday evening.

Marshall simply accomplished his fourth season with the New Orleans Pelicans, having labored his manner up from a two-way contract to a full four-year deal in his first season. Now, Marshall will get stability with a multiyear deal from Dallas.

The addition of Marshall signaled the top of Derrick Jones Jr.’s tenure in Dallas, with Jones agreeing to a three-year, $30 million cope with the LA Clippers later Sunday evening, a supply confirmed. Mavs common supervisor Nico Harrison had stated after the season that re-signing the beginning small ahead was the workforce’s offseason “precedence 1A and 1B,” however Dallas pivoted to make use of a big a part of its nontaxpayer midlevel exception on Marshall.

Sources stated Jones’ choice to alter illustration Wednesday, leaving his longtime agent Aaron Turner for Wealthy Paul’s Klutch Sports activities, factored into the Mavs’ choice to prioritize Marshall. The Nationwide Basketball Gamers’ Affiliation pointers state {that a} participant should wait 15 days to formally change his illustration, that means Paul shouldn’t be in a position to negotiate on Jones’ behalf till a number of days after the NBA’s free company moratorium ends.

The Mavs are pursuing sign-and-trade choices with the Golden State Warriors in an try so as to add Klay Thompson, sources stated. Dallas has a $16.1 million commerce exception from the deal the Mavs made to ship Tim Hardaway Jr. and three second-round picks to the Detroit Pistons for Quentin Grimes.

Nonetheless, the Mavs should keep below the wage cap’s first apron of $178.1 million, that means Dallas must shed roughly $13 million from its payroll to present Thompson a cope with a beginning wage of $16.1 million, in accordance with ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

Marshall, a 6-foot-8 wing who can deal with the ball and play taking pictures guard or both ahead spot, labored his manner into the Pelicans’ rotation over the previous three seasons.

In 66 video games final season, Marshall averaged 7.1 factors and three.6 rebounds whereas taking pictures a profession excessive from the sector (46.3%) and from 3-point vary (38.7%). Marshall shot simply 29% on 3-pointers in his first three seasons.

Marshall loved his greatest season in New Orleans in 2022-23 when he averaged a career-best 9.1 factors per sport. In 21 video games as a starter that season, Marshall averaged 14.8 factors, 5.4 rebounds and three.3 assists.

Defensively, Marshall will present assist for Luka Doncic & Co. The Pelicans had a 106.8 defensive score with Marshall on the ground and a 112.7 defensive score when he was off.