Naji Marshall has drawn more trade interest than any other player on the Dallas Mavericks, but he has made it clear that he wants to remain in Dallas (subscription required) beyond the trade deadline. The Mavericks prefer to keep Marshall in Dallas, as they view him as a key component of the Cooper Flagg era, and Marshall seems to think of himself in the same way.
Marshall recently spoke with Ron Harrod Jr. of DLLS Sports about his future with the Mavericks, and he made it abundantly clear that he loves the city of Dallas and wants to stay. For a very, very long time.
"I want to play with Cooper Flagg my whole (expletive) career," Marshall said. "That's my dog, and he's gonna create history. And to be a part of that would be unbelievable."
Naji Marshall wants to remain in Dallas long-term
Marshall has been extremely outspoken about his fondness for Flagg this season, and he obviously wants to keep this partnership going for years to come. Flagg and Marshall have formed an extremely deadly partnership this season, as Marshall is one of the only players on the team, outside of Flagg and Brandon Williams, who can create consistent paint touches.
Marshall's unstoppable floater, lockdown defense, tenacity, and versatility have turned him into someone Mavericks fans love, and apparently, the rest of the league as well. He has drawn interest from the Lakers, as well as several other teams around the league ahead of the trade deadline, but he doesn't seem to care about any of that.
Marshall wants to continue what he started in Dallas, and this season has been a testament to how dominant he can be when he is at his best.
He's averaging 14.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 53.8 percent from the field, and he and Flagg have been some of the only players who have been consistent all season. No matter what role Jason Kidd assigns to Marshall, he plays his part and impacts winning at a high level. He is one of the reasons that Dallas has won as many games as they have, and Marshall wants to keep this up moving forward.
Regardless of Marshall's preference, though, him remaining in Dallas beyond Thursday's trade deadline will all come down to whether the Mavericks are willing to give him up or not. Rival teams could decide to offer them a massive package, including first-round draft capital, and it'll be up to Dallas to determine how much they truly value him.
The Mavs have made it clear that they'd like to keep Marshall, but at the end of the day, they have to do what's best for the franchise. Cooper Flagg has become their sole focus just over one year after the Luka Doncic trade, and if they think an expiring contract, a first-round pick, or a young player puts them in a better position to succeed moving forward than Marshall, they may move on.
If not, Marshall may get his wish of being a Mavericks lifer and playing with Flagg for the rest of his career.