Naji Marshall Cashes In: 3 Years, $52.2M to Stay in Dallas
Marshall nearly doubles his salary after a career year of 15.2 points a night — but Kyrie's return complicates the fantasy math.
Solid role player, but Kyrie's return caps his ceiling.
- 3 years, $52.2M fully guaranteed
- New deal averages $17.4M vs $9.4M this season
- Career-best 15.2 PPG, 4.7 REB, 3.3 AST in 2025-26
- Played 74 games, started 47 last season
- 27.8 FPTS/G in 2025-26, our #116 overall
The Mavericks locked up Naji Marshall for the long haul, agreeing to a three-year, $52.2 million deal that's fully guaranteed, per reporting from ESPN's Shams Charania. That contract nearly doubles his pay — Marshall is set to make $9.4 million in the final year of his old deal this coming season, and the new agreement averages out to $17.4 million annually.
The 28-year-old wing earned it. Marshall posted career highs across the board in 2025-26, averaging 15.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists in nearly 30 minutes a night over 74 games (47 starts). Mavs president Masai Ujiri praised Marshall's versatility and toughness in the team's release, framing him as a competitive piece of what Dallas is building. Marshall is also swapping his No. 13 for No. 3 next season.
For fantasy purposes, the money is nice but the on-court context matters more. Marshall finished 2025-26 as our #116 overall player (#40 among forwards) at 27.8 fantasy points per game — a serviceable but unspectacular line built largely on volume. He got that volume because Dallas needed a full-time wing carrying real usage.
That's where Kyrie Irving reenters the picture. Irving is expected back in the rotation next season, and every possession he soaks up is a possession that doesn't run through Marshall. For reference, Irving carried a 40.6 fantasy points per game clip in 2024-25 (our #29 overall). When a scorer of that caliber returns, the guy who was picking up the slack usually sees his touches — and his fantasy ceiling — trimmed.
The silver lining: Marshall's game translates to an off-ball role. He can cut, drive, work the floater (arguably the league's best) and doesn't need the rock in his hands to score. The problem is his 29.1% mark from deep last season. If you're not a knockdown shooter, off-ball reps don't always pad the box score the way on-ball reps do.
Bottom line for fantasy managers: hold, don't reach. Marshall's a fine late-round dart in deeper leagues, but Kyrie's return likely caps him closer to his 2025-26 baseline than a leap forward. Draft him as a stable No. 40-ish forward and rotational streamer, not a breakout target. If Irving's health wavers early in the season, Marshall's stock ticks right back up.
