The Dallas Mavericks are coming off an NBA Finals appearance, their first since the 2010-11 season. With the NBA free agency negotiation period underway, the Mavericks are looking at ways to upgrade the roster to make another strong playoff run. The Mavericks agreed to terms with Naji Marshall in free agency, and their reason for doing so was the fact that they're probably going to lose Derrick Jones Jr. as per longtime NBA insider Marc Stein.
Stein reports that, “Dallas pivoted to signing Naji Marshall, league sources say, after unexpectedly conceding tonight that it would likely not have the wherewithal to retain Derrick Jones Jr. while the Mavs focus on the sign-and-trade pursuit of Klay Thompson.”
Derrick Jones Jr. had a strong season for the Mavericks and is likely drawing interest from other teams in free agency. But the Mavericks coming to terms in free agency with Naji Marshall is not a bad fallback option, especially if they're able to land Klay Thompson as well.
Marshall and Jones' stats last season were similar across the board. Marshall averaged 7.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists while Jones averaged 8.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists. Marshall was a Swiss army knife type player for the New Orleans Pelicans while Jones was a capable 3&D type player for the Mavericks. Jones was a starter though for the Mavericks while Marshall came off the bench for the Pelicans.
Mavericks pursuing Klay Thompson in free agency
With Klay Thompson's likely departure from the Golden State Warriors, the Mavericks are one of the teams reportedly pursuing the future Hall of Fame wing along with the the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers as per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Thompson would no doubt make a major impact for the Mavericks. While the former All-Star has seen his production slip in recent seasons, he can still be an effective player for a contending team. He would add consistent shooting to a team that lacked that against the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.
Thompson is a five-time NBA All-Star and was an integral part of the Warriors four championship in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022. This past season, he appeared in 77 games, the most he's played in since returning to the court following back to back major injuries that caused him to miss the entirety of the 2019-20 season and 2020-21 season.
Thompson averaged 17.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists with splits of 43.2 percent shooting from the field, 38.7 percent shooting from the three-point line and a league-leading 92.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
Follow Us
Subscribe