Naji Marshall Signs Extension W/DAL

[SleepingHero]

Changing his number from 13 to 3 (he wore 13 in college and 8 at NOP).

Conspiracy theory #1:  Seva wanted the number and the Russian government made Naji an offer he couldn't refuse

Conspiracy theory #2:  Jordan Poole called and told Naji the Gafford/Klay to NOP deal was coming and he wanted his number.

Not to take a good joke too seriously but Seva wore 23 in Russia and forced to take 13 cause of Tyler Smith.

What I am still not understanding is why Morez couldn't get 7 if Powell remains unsigned.

[SleepingHero]

Yeah, I just don't understand the thinking with this one. I like Marshall the player, but HATE his fit with Flagg. HATE.

I will say, Marshall is the closest thing to a point-forward that we got. He has a lil Lamar Odom to his game. I wouldn't be against him running the offense, and he showed he could pass very well when called upon. 

A theoretical lineup of Marshall/Tarik/Risacher/Flagg/Lively is really intriguing. Plenty of shooting and everyone is 6'6 or taller. Hell replace Tarik with PJ and it's even more switchable. If PJ+Flagg can be around 35% on threes, then there'd be plenty of shooting as well.

[Moviemavguy]

Is Marshall a forward? I feel like he is a combo guard at this point.

[cow]

On a more serious note, I don't love the contract.  I think he deserves a raise, but I was hoping for something in the $40-45M range.  I'm not sure nearly doubling his contract is the best negotiation, but props to his agent and on the plus side, I love descending value contracts. I also wish he'd keep rocking 13 instead of 3.  I am glad I can finally add his jersey to the collection, but I might go with a retro choice.

[DallasMaverick]

Not to take a good joke too seriously but Seva wore 23 in Russia and forced to take 13 cause of Tyler Smith.

What I am still not understanding is why Morez couldn't get 7 if Powell remains unsigned.

I think they plan to retire Powell’s jersey number.

[cow]

What I am still not understanding is why Morez couldn't get 7 if Powell remains unsigned.

He might not be part of the Mavs future plans, but while he is a question mark, I think 12 years of service buys you a little grace in them holding your number until the roster is sorted.  Giving someone else his number right now would be bad form and not an appropriate send off for someone who set the team culture post-Dirk and was great in the community.

[Moviemavguy]

On a more serious note, I don't love the contract.  I think he deserves a raise, but I was hoping for something in the $40-45M range.  I'm not sure nearly doubling his contract is the best negotiation, but props to his agent and on the plus side, I love descending value contracts.  I also wish he'd keep rocking 13 instead of 3.  I am glad I can finally add his jersey to the collection, but I might go with a retro choice.

He was in high demand at the deadline, and I'm sure was this summer too.  These contracts aren't just given out willy-nilly.  Not by M&M.

[SleepingHero]

I think they plan to retire Powell’s jersey number.

Might as retire Eduardo Najera's number while we're at it. 

Heck, lets do every role player! JJ Barea, Devin Harris, maybe Josh Howard too since he had a pretty good 07 year!

[windjc]

Everyday it tells me more and more that the majority of fans on here do not comprehend what the front office is doing.

Some of us do though.

[meistermatze]

Like others, I hate the particular fit with Flagg, and either Naji or PJ feels redundant as a heavy-minutes player, which they have to be because they are very good players. So this either means one of them will be gone soon, or they have a very specific role in mind for Marshall. He could be running point, or backup point, a lot. That would fit with Ujiri's vision, or at least the vision we all assume he has.

Also, if Naji were a reliable three-point shooter as well, he'd be a star somewhere. So I guess I've talked myself into liking the move now.

[Chicagojk]

https://x.com/Sam_Vecenie/status/2084118162736599041

I think it is true the last few years of Masai in Toronto there were not great trades and extensions.   Now of course, there could be more to these then just the moves themselves, but still.

I think there are two ways of looking at this both good and bad.

1) It is about acquiring good players on solid contracts.   Find guys who fit your vision.  Eventually a move will be found where you can exchange good players for other good players who will even out the roster better.

2) You could wind up with a team similar to the team in Toronto after the championship.   A team of good players but a team that doesn't really fit.  Because of this unbalanced team, you are always chasing something and that sometimes can lead to mistakes.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

^ Yea, I am very much in wait and see mode with this front office.

We have a new young coach and several new young players so there are reasons for optimism. But I am not particularly impressed by any of the individual moves they've made. And the roster looks even more unbalanced than it did when they took over. If they extend Lively, that'll just add to my skepticism.

[Jym]

^ Yea, I am very much in wait and see mode with this front office. 

We have a new young coach and several new young players so there are reasons for optimism.  But I am not particularly impressed by any of the individual moves they've made.  And the roster looks even more unbalanced than it did when they took over.  If they extend Lively, that'll just add to my skepticism.

Also curious how much that Christie extension would be
Because in my head he's clearly worth more than Naji, at least for this team

[hakeemfaan]

I am not that concerned about timelines or even fit. When you have a talent like Flagg management always has to battle two timelines.

Flagg is good enough to strongly contend for a title now.

He is also young enough where 5 years from now he still will be 2 years from his prime. So in a way it is too early to worry too much about fit.

The reality is that a lot of the players be they 19 or 28 will not be around 5 years from now as management fiddles to get the best combination around Flagg. There is no exact science.

All I know is that we got two very good folks in the front office. Sure Stevens or Presti might be better but we weren’t getting them. If we can’t be patient and trust these guys be it this extension or anything else, who are we going to be happy with?

Let’s see what they do with all the assets that they have now and how it plays out in the next 3 years.

[windjc]

I am not that concerned about timelines or even fit. When you have a talent like Flagg management always has to battle two timelines.

Flagg is good enough to strongly contend for a title now.

He is also young enough where 5 years from now he still will be 2 years from his prime. So in a way it is too early to worry too much about fit.

The reality is that a lot of the players be they 19 or 28 will not be around 5 years from now as management fiddles to get the best combination around Flagg. There is no exact science.

All I know is that we got two very good folks in the front office. Sure Stevens or Presti might be better but we weren’t getting them. If we can’t be patient and trust these guys be it this extension or anything else, who are we going to be happy with?

Let’s see what they do with all the assets that they have now and how it plays out in the next 3 years.

Ah the rare post of common sense! Thank you. 

The amount of hand wringing and micro managing that goes on around here is staggering.

[Dirknows]

I am not that concerned about timelines or even fit. When you have a talent like Flagg management always has to battle two timelines.

Flagg is good enough to strongly contend for a title now.

He is also young enough where 5 years from now he still will be 2 years from his prime. So in a way it is too early to worry too much about fit.

The reality is that a lot of the players be they 19 or 28 will not be around 5 years from now as management fiddles to get the best combination around Flagg. There is no exact science.

All I know is that we got two very good folks in the front office. Sure Stevens or Presti might be better but we weren’t getting them. If we can’t be patient and trust these guys be it this extension or anything else, who are we going to be happy with?

Let’s see what they do with all the assets that they have now and how it plays out in the next 3 years.

Flagg may be good enough to contend for a title now but the team as a whole isn’t even close. Which is the problem people have with this extension, cuz Naji doesn’t move the needle really, he’s more of a glue guy on a very good team would be his best fit. Maybe we become a very good team in the next few years, but right now we are not.

[Scott41theMavs]

Flagg may be good enough to contend for a title now but the team as a whole isn’t even close. Which is the problem people have with this extension, cuz Naji doesn’t move the needle really, he’s more of a glue guy on a very good team would be his best fit. Maybe we become a very good team in the next few years, but right now we are not.

I don’t see any reason whatsoever to say this isn’t a good team until we see them in action. It’s not just a matter of seeing how rookies and guys new to the NBA (i.e. Tarik) look initially and develop, how the developmental flyers like Sasser and Risacher improve, how much Flagg leaps forward and how much Kyrie looks like his old self. It’s how May meshes the whole thing together and how the chemistry develops. I do get a strong sense that the guys like each other. My favorite thing about last year aside from Flagg’s exponential growth was how the veteran players (nearly all of them African American) embraced, supported, and encouraged a white American rookie - which probably says as much about who Flagg is as a person as well as his undeniable ability - not to mention the character of the vets.

[windjc]

Flagg may be good enough to contend for a title now but the team as a whole isn’t even close. Which is the problem people have with this extension, cuz Naji doesn’t move the needle really, he’s more of a glue guy on a very good team would be his best fit. Maybe we become a very good team in the next few years, but right now we are not.

Sorry but this is a not an accurate take. This team is deeper and more talented (without Coop) than the one that went to the championship with Luka. Coop could equal Luka soon enough. 

Do the math.

[hakeemfaan]

Flagg may be good enough to contend for a title now but the team as a whole isn’t even close. Which is the problem people have with this extension, cuz Naji doesn’t move the needle really, he’s more of a glue guy on a very good team would be his best fit. Maybe we become a very good team in the next few years, but right now we are not.

The reason I mentioned that Coop is ready right now is to highlight exactly this.  

Maybe the team is pretty solid. Maybe they are not. However what mgmt can’t do is just stack it with a bunch of raw youngsters around Coop. That is going to frustrate him and also going to introduce bad habits. There is value in having professional veterans who can help both on and off the court. 

Plus with the rule changes wrt tanking and also given the fact that the Mavs most likely won’t have their own pick, there is no fear of winning meaningless games due to these veterans.

[cow]

Flagg may be good enough to contend for a title now but the team as a whole isn’t even close. Which is the problem people have with this extension, cuz Naji doesn’t move the needle really, he’s more of a glue guy on a very good team would be his best fit. Maybe we become a very good team in the next few years, but right now we are not.

If we controlled our draft picks, I could see the "problem with the extension" point of view, but we don't.  We have no reason to lose moving forward and Naji is a useful piece who plays defense and can get high percentage looks for himself (something this team is devoid of) which sounds like a great fit off the bench and who can spot start for a team trying to win games.  I still don't love how much he was paid.  Yes he has been in high demand, but that demand would be far less at nearly double his current salary (or what his extension will pay him).  I don't hate it either, but I do think we may have shifted the balance of his value from positive to neutral.