The Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall has signed a three-year, $52.2 million contract extension with the team, per ESPN senior NBA insider Shams Charania.
Marshall ended the 2025-26 season averaging 15.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists while shooting 51.0% from the field and 29.1% from beyond the arc in 74 games played.
The 28-year-old was entering the final season of his previous contract with an expected salary of $9.5 million for the 2026-27 season. Marshall has signed a declining extension that starts at $18.2 million in 2027-28 and falls over the following two seasons to $17.3 million in 2028-29 and $16.7 million in 2029-30.
Masai Ujiri, the Mavericks’ president, released an official statement after this announcement.
“Naji has earned this opportunity through the way he approaches the game every day. He is a competitive player who impacts winning in a variety of ways. His versatility, toughness and willingness to embrace every challenge make him an important part of what we’re building.”
But it is interesting to note that Marshall’s extension is structured in a manner that still keeps him eligible for a trade. However, NBA insider Marc Stein has noted that the Mavericks resisted all trade approaches for Marshall through the summer so far.
“Dallas has consistently resisted trade interest in Naji Marshall and now reaffirms its desire to keep the versatile swingman in place alongside Cooper Flagg by re-signing him to a multiyear deal,” Stein wrote on X.
A safe investment for the Mavericks in a player who could be entering his prime, and a $52.2 million contract for an undrafted player. With Marshall nearly doubling his salary and the Mavericks retaining the flexibility to trade him, this is a win-win deal for both sides.
However, this puts P.J. Washington’s future in further uncertainty as the team looks to clear space for Cooper Flagg to accelerate his development. Considering that the Mavericks drafted Morez Johnson Jr, traded for Santi Aldama and Zaccharie Risacher, and have now extended Marshall’s contract, the logjam of forwards on the Mavericks roster is becoming increasingly clear.
We anticipate a major shakeup in Dallas as three of their top four earners for the 2026-27 season seem to be headed for the exit door.
After Kyrie Irving ($39.5 million), the top three earners are P.J Washington ($19.8 million), Klay Thompson ($17.5 million), and Daniel Gafford ($17.3 million). All three of them are expected to leave the Mavericks if the rumors are true. It will be interesting to see the final roster that the Mavericks end up building around Flagg and Irving for opening night.
