Naji Marshall could emerge as a potential Jonathan Kuminga fallback option for the Lakers, with a possible trade framework sending Jake LaRavia and the 2031 and 2032 Wizards second-round picks to the Mavericks.
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The Los Angeles Lakers' pursuit of Jonathan Kuminga remains complicated, which could eventually push the team toward other trade-market alternatives.
Los Angeles has been connected with Kuminga throughout free agency as the franchise searches for an athletic starting-caliber forward to place alongside Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Earlier in the offseason, the Lakers and Kuminga were linked to a two-year, $20 million contract, but a direct path to a deal has not materialized.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst recently said on The Hoop Collective podcast that there is still a window for the Lakers to pursue a Kuminga sign-and-trade using Jaden Hardy. However, he also noted that the Hawks could end up in the tax unless another player is moved to a third team.
The NBA insider added that a Kuminga sign-and-trade would have to cover three years and could not include player options.
Such requirements complicate any deal structure. The Minnesota Timberwolves have also emerged as a team to watch for Kuminga, while the Cavs' path became irrelevant after Cleveland completed a sign-and-trade for Peyton Watson and landed Mario Hezonja earlier.
If the Lakers eventually need a fallback option, Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall could be a name worth discussing.
Why Naji Marshall could become a Lakers fallback target
Marshall, 28, is not the same kind of player as Kuminga.
Kuminga is younger, more explosive, and has more on-ball scoring upside.
Marshall, meanwhile, is a more established rotation forward who can defend multiple positions, handle secondary playmaking responsibilities, attack closeouts, and provide physicality on the wing.
That profile still makes sense for the Lakers. A Doncic-Reaves backcourt creates offensive advantages, but it also increases the need for bigger, tougher wings who can defend, rebound, and play without needing high usage.
Marshall is also familiar with Luka from their short time together in Dallas. That stint was limited because Doncic was later traded, but it still gives the Lakers some connection to a player who has already been in a Luka-led environment.
Potential Lakers-Mavericks trade package
Lakers receive:
Naji Marshall
Mavericks receive:
Jake LaRavia
2031 Wizards second-round pick
2032 Wizards second-round pick
This would be a clean framework because it gives Dallas one player back instead of adding multiple roster spots, while the Lakers would use both Wizards second-rounders as draft compensation.
How the money would work
Marshall is listed at $9.43 million for the 2026-27 season, before his new extension salary begins. His extension is scheduled to run from 2027-28 through 2029-30, with salaries listed at $18.2 million, $17.3 million, and $16.4 million.
LaRavia is listed at $6 million, so under normal salary-matching rules, his salary should be enough for the Lakers to take back Marshall's current $9.43 million number, depending on the Lakers' exact apron status and final structure.
The timing is the bigger issue. Dallas signed Marshall to a three-year, $52.2 million extension earlier this month after his best NBA season.
NBA rules can restrict trades for six months when a player signs an extension that exceeds extend-and-trade limits, so this framework would likely be more realistic as a trade-deadline-style idea than an immediate move.
Why the Lakers would do it
Marshall would give the Lakers a bigger wing who can do more than stand in the corner.
He averaged a career-best 15.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.1 steals in 74 games (47 starts) last season, while shooting 51.0% from the field.
His three-point shooting is not elite, and that could be a problem. Marshall converted just 29.1% of shots from three last season on 2.9 attempts per game, and is a 30.0% three-point shooter over his 373-game NBA career.
For Los Angeles, the argument would be role balance.
Marshall would not be acquired to become a primary scorer, but he would have been asked to convert long-range shots with better accuracy than what he has done so far.
Also, he would be added as a physical forward who can defend, cut, move the ball, rebound, and attack rotating defenses.
Why Dallas would consider it
Dallas just extended Marshall, so the Mavs would not be expected to move him easily.
However, if Dallas continues to resist trading P.J. Washington or decides Washington is more valuable to its frontcourt structure, Marshall could become the more attainable forward in a Lakers-Mavericks conversation.
The Mavs also just lost a major shooter when Klay Thompson reached a buyout with Dallas and joined the Miami Heat. That could make LaRavia useful as a lower-cost forward who can provide spacing, size, and rotation depth.
LaRavia averaged 8.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists last season while shooting 32.1% from three.
He would not replace Thompson's movement shooting, but he would give Dallas a cheaper forward option while the two Wizards second-round picks would add draft value.
From the Mavericks' perspective, the appeal lies in flexibility: Dallas would move a player whose price tag climbs over the coming seasons, acquire a cost-effective rotation forward, and add two future second-round picks.
Why Dallas may ask for more
The main issue is value.
Marshall is coming off the best season of his career and just received a new long-term commitment from Dallas. That means the Mavericks would have a strong case to ask for more than LaRavia and second-round picks.
If Dallas demanded a stronger asset, the Lakers could face pressure to include the 2032 first-round pick swap instead of one or both second-rounders.
That would make the deal more serious from the Mavericks' perspective, but it would also make the price much harder for the Lakers to justify.
Naji Marshall 2025-26 Full Season Highlights
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