It won’t be long before the Dallas Mavericks are back on the court to kick off the 2026-2027 regular season. With their return comes many questions. The team, coaching staff and front office have all been overhauled during the past few months. Naji Marshall is poised to be a big part of the equation after signing an offseason extension, but exactly how he figures in remains a mystery.
Throughout the offseason, the fanbase seemed somewhat divided on Marshall. One camp wanted to jettison all manner
of veteran player in exchange for assets, while another camp wanted to move certain veterans while retaining others. On August 2, 2026 we learned that Marshall would in fact remain part of the future of the Mavericks. Marshall signed a three-year contract extension, which will kick in after this coming season and carry through the 2029-2030 season. The $52.2 million extension is a relative bargain for a player of his caliber and will likely only look better with time as the salary cap continues its endless growth.
The big question
The big question surrounding Marshall is precisely where he fits in with the Mavericks. Dallas is loaded with wings and forwards – Cooper Flagg, P.J. Washington, Zaccharie Rissacher, Caleb Martin, Morez Johnson and Santi Aldama (perhaps more of a center). On the surface, it appears playing time will be at a premium, but a closer look suggests there will be room to maneuver. Flagg will likely see time at one of the guard positions, Aldama and even Johnson at center, Martin likely relegated to spot minutes… and with Marshall having just signed an extension, it’s all but certain he will factor in as a key rotation piece.
Best case scenario
The best case scenario for Marshall and the team is that he will be the third best player. If he is, that will mean that 1) Flagg maintains his spot atop the pecking order; 2) Kyrie Irving has not only returned to form but is consistently available as the Batman to Flagg’s Superman; 3) new faces like Sergio De Larrea, Johnson and others won’t be forced to do too much.
Marshall doesn’t have to be the third best player for the remainder of his newly minted contract, but being that for at least this upcoming season will take a ton of pressure off the new guys, as well as Flagg and Irving. Marshall was arguably the best player on the floor in a handful of games last year when the injury bug bit, so he is certainly capable of offsetting some of the load on both sides of the floor.
Worst case scenario
The worst case scenario is complacency or injury – more succinctly, a lack of production. If Marshall decides to put his inner dog on a leash now that he’s been paid, that’ll be bad for the Mavericks. It is difficult to imagine such an outcome is even remotely possible. Beyond that, he needs to stay healthy. In his two seasons with Dallas, Marshall has played 69 and 74 games, respectively (with more than a few absences last season being of the arbitrary “rest” variety). Marshall has been one of the most available Mavericks since he arrived in Dallas and he needs to stay that way since he is one of the most versatile players on the roster.
Season Goal
Do a little bit of everything, with a focus on improving the “three and D” label. Marshall is one of those players who brings immense value despite not being a bona fide star. He can dribble, he can drive, he has a lethal mid-range game, he can rebound, he stands up for his teammates and he backs down from virtually nothing. If he can get a more consistent three-point shot, he’s going to be a real problem for the opponent. Coming to Dallas as a “three and D” type of player, we’ve seen the “three” portion of that equation come up a bit short. With Irving and even a stretch big like Aldama, Marshall may find he gets himself better looks this year, but whatever the case, he needs to get his three-point shooting percentage above 30% (something he’s never done in Dallas) as the first step, then needs to take a big jump from there. If he can get even close to league average, it will be a huge boon.
Overall
The Mavericks didn’t sign Marshall to an extension only for him to play a minor role. The extension signals that Marshall figures into the main cast of characters for Dallas and the fanbase should be happy about this. His contract is quite reasonable, he may be the most versatile player on the team aside from Flagg and he brings a veteran presence and on-court production that the team will need. If he can make a meaningful jump in his three-point shooting percentage, he will be an invaluable piece to the Mavericks roster.
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