Preseason Game 4: Mavs vs. Hawks | 7:00pm CST

[DanSchwartzgan]

I have been trying to figure out the Marshall extension since it happened.   It seems most mavs fans have been against it, while a few in the media have been positive about it.   I have been trying to figure out where I may be wrong.    

I think I have landed that I don't like it if Marshall is playing point guard or backing up the 3.    I don't think he is a point guard and there are not enough minutes to justify the contract backing up the three.

Where I think it could work is tricky and the roster will need to adjust.    For instance, the Mavs will have need to hit on both Johnson and Aldama.    Johnson takes up a lot of the minutes in the front court while Aldama can be a swiss army knife playing with different players.   He might be a real nice mesh with Johnson.   He needs to get healthy first.    If these two things happen, I think PJ is expendable.   If PJ is not here, this frees up minutes of Cooper getting some PF minutes.   Then you could go with Cooper, Marshall and two guards and a center.    I could see that lineup working.    I just think the roster needs to adjust a little and Marshall needs to play with another creator.

One thing to note regarding the timing of this.  It was done so that he can be traded again after his 2/2/27 trade restriction expires.  The next trade deadline is 2/11/27.  Naji is more valuable extended than he is as a pending free agent and the declining future salary avoids any issues like Poison Pill.

He can be traded for someone making up to $16.93mm or combined with any number of players depending on what the other team is trying to accomplish.