There are two types of NBA players according to one particular scouting trope. In one box are the 82-game regular season guys and in the other are 16-game playoff-ready contributors. Some All-NBA talents have a reputation for waiting until the NBA Playoffs begin to ramp up their efforts. Jimmy Butler can get away with that approach but the league is full of role players just trying to stick around for a full season. The New Orleans Pelicans have had that in Naji Marshall, one of the few 100% for 100 game guys in the world, for four seasons but may be losing the respected veteran this summer.
Simply put, the Pelicans might be priced out of Marshall's market given their assumed priorities this summer. They have limited salary cap space and Marshall has been playing minutes that need to go to Dyson Daniels moving forward. The problem is that Marshall is too good, and way too competitive, for Willie Green to ignore. The same goes for the rest of the NBA's decision-makers.
Pelicans monitoring Naji Marshall's market
Every team that won a series in the postseason could and would use Marshall in their rotations. The Pelicans would love to have him back at the right price by all accounts. A cheap, useful, productive role player acting as an insurance policy for lottery picks that does not pan out is always a good investment. There will be plenty of MLE money to go around for the 26-year-old Swiss Army utility knife, however.
The last bit of use New Orleans might get out of Marshall is as a sign-and-trade asset – unless the Pelicans trade Dyson Daniels this summer as part of a Brandon Ingram package. A canvassing of scouts, executives, and respected national media voices suggests Marshall's market will fall between $5-10 million. Most were in the middle of that range, $6.5-$8 million, with only a few outliers towards the extremes.
The Xavier (Ohio) product was undrafted but the Pelicans saw potential back in 2020. Anyone who has watched a game since would not be surprised to hear Marshall's dad, Maurice, was a professional boxer before becoming a youth basketball coach. Naji has displayed a high hoops IQ and will never be caught backing down from a fight. For example, Marshall and Jose Alvarado were suspended following an altercation against the Miami Heat midway through this season.
Marshall has been stuck behind other wings in New Orleans unfortunately but still proved to be a capable day-in, day-out contributor to a playoff team. The team's injury luck kept providing Marshal and Alvarado opportunities and the fan-favorites ran with them. Marshall's skillset would translate well to a seven-game series and his contributions in one-off elimination games cannot be understated either. He had 11 points, six rebounds, two steals, and a block in the final Play-In Tournament win over the Sacramento Kings.
Possible landing spots for ‘The Knife'
Every 26-year-old defensive-minded wing averaging 38.7% from three-point range will get a decent payday this summer. Marshall can also handle the ball in transition, help initiate half-court offenses, and throw mesmerizing passes. Seven teams have cap space and a few more teams will have a role worthy of a Mid-Level Exception investment. Marshall will always have value at the next trade deadline if things do not work out.
Lottery teams like the Detroit Pistons, Charlotte Hornets, and San Antonio Spurs will have the money and the need for some steady veteran leadership. The Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando Magic, Utah Jazz, and Oklahoma City Thunder will be jockeying for postseason spots next year. They all have the cap space to give Marshall a huge raise and minutes available to make the move worthwhile.
Marshall will command more than his current $1.9 million veteran minimum. The Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level is capped at $12.85 million. Teams historically do not use the full NTMLE but Marshall could get more than the $5.18 million Taypayer Mid-Level Exception. The Room Exception sits at just over $8 million, putting several more teams in play. Teams with cap space or the larger NTMLE will be after Marshall's services but he may prefer a shot at a ring or playing close to home. Those are the unknown factors in the market.
If he wants a bigger role, the most money, and a shot at an NBA Finals run then signing with a lottery-bound team just to be traded at the deadline is the way to go. The Pelicans cannot offer the best package but New Orleans will be forever grateful for how Marshall helped keep things together during the toughest of times. The team just has to accept it's probably going to be priced out of the Marshall market.
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