PHOENIX — The Dallas Mavericks are rebuilding around Cooper Flagg, but they aren’t starting from scratch.
Several players on the roster could be long-term fits around the 19-year-old rising star, which won’t require the Mavericks to rely solely on bringing in external pieces to complete the full puzzle needed to be competitive again in the Western Conference.
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An instrumental part of the rebuild could be Naji Marshall, one of the most consistent Mavericks over the last two seasons during a tumultuous period marred by inconsistencies.
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Mavericks interim general manager Matt Riccardi had one word to describe Marshall and Max Christie’s fit around Flagg in the aftermath of the trade deadline.
“Perfectly,” Riccardi said before elaborating. “We really like them as players. We think they fit really well around Cooper, but most importantly, those guys embody what we want in the organization. We love what they bring to the table, both on and off the court, and their personalities. They’re Dallas Maverick players.”
There are several reasons Marshall, who was a desirable player for rival teams at the trade deadline, could be a complementary piece next to Flagg.
Marshall has been a model of consistency since he signed a three-year contract in summer 2024. He’s the team leader in games played this season, with appearances in 51 of 52 contests entering Tuesday’s matchup against the Phoenix Suns, on pace to shatter his availability in 69 of 82 games last season.
It’s been the best statistical season for the sixth-year forward, who’s averaging career highs in points (14.7), rebounds (5.0), assists (3.0), steals (1.0) and field goal percentage (52.5%).
Marshall had an off night Saturday in San Antonio with six points, three rebounds and five assists, but he accomplished something alongside Flagg that had been done only once before this season Thursday. Both forwards scored 32 points in their home loss to the Spurs, marking the second time the Mavericks had two 30-point scorers this season since Flagg (33) and Anthony Davis (31) did so Dec. 23 against the Denver Nuggets.
Scoring occurrences of that magnitude were normalized under the former Mavericks duo of Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic, but Marshall didn’t want to make a big deal out of it.
“Nobody cares about little ole me. Let Coop have all the shine, man,” Marshall said. “I’d rather play the back anyway. I’m cool with just being Robin.”
Marshall has publicly voiced a desire to play alongside Flagg for the rest of his career. He is under contract for one more season in 2026-27 before he becomes an unrestricted free agent the following summer.
Throughout his tenure as a Maverick, he’s shown the ability to play both sides of the floor with physicality and tactfulness. He’s one of the team’s enforcers, willing to go the distance to protect his teammates — on and off the court. He also has a signature shot, the floater, which has proven to be reliable when he needs a sure way to score.
That skillset could pair well with someone as competitive as Flagg.
“We want guys that embody what [Flagg] embodies,” Riccardi said, “which is the toughness, the high IQ players, unselfish, hard-nosed defenders, cares about the team more than they care about themselves. Those are the guys that win in this league. Those are the guys that have success.”
Marshall signed up to play for a team that was one month removed from playing in the NBA Finals, but circumstances have given him an opportunity to play substantially more than he would’ve if the Finals team remained intact.
When asked why he’s adamant about staying in Dallas long term, Marshall said it’s because of his love for the franchise, city and fanbase.
“Everything we’ve been through, the fans still show up,” Marshall said. “Matt Riccardi, Michael Finley, they make me feel comfortable and they’re doing an unbelievable job. … Coach Kidd, the players, it’s just all a comfortable fit for me.
“I love the team, from the front office to the equipment managers, it doesn’t matter. Everybody’s the same to me and everybody’s shown great love and I feel like we just one big family, so it’s just a blessing to be here and I’m just thankful that those guys picked me up.”
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