Dallas Mavericks GM Nico Harrison was known as a mastermind for the moves he made at the 2023 and 2024 NBA trade deadlines, as his trades for Kyrie Irving, P.J. Washington, and Daniel Gafford helped the Mavericks reach the NBA Finals last season, but all of his credibility was washed down the drain less than one year after Dallas’ third finals berth.
Harrison decided to trade Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis in the middle of the night on a Saturday, and Mavericks fans have despised him ever since. Fans couldn’t believe that he traded Doncic, and he has taken the majority of the blame from fans since he worked in the dark on this trade alongside Rob Pelinka.
From protests outside of the arena with hundreds of people to deafening “fire Nico” chants inside the stadium, MFFLs have let Harrison know how disgusted they are with his decision to trade Doncic. While Harrison will always be defined by the Doncic trade, which is undoubtedly the worst trade in NBA history, he has also made some great moves that deserve some credit.
Naji Marshall’s recent award justifies Nico Harrison’s bold gamble
One of these moves was allowing Derrick Jones Jr. to walk in free agency and sign with the LA Clippers while signing Naji Marshall, and fans hated this move at first. Fans thought it was a major risk not to re-sign Jones Jr., especially considering how crucial he was during the postseason, but Harrison rolled the dice and signed Marshall to a three-year, $27 million deal. Not only was Marshall’s contract cheaper than Jones Jr.’s, but he has also emerged as one of the most underrated players in the NBA, and a recent award he received from an NBA journalist reflects that.
Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes recently gave out three awards for every team in the NBA, and Marshall won the Most Improved award for the Mavericks. In 67 games this season, Marshall has averaged 13.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 51.2 percent from the field, and he has been key for Dallas all season long.
With the Mavericks’ seemingly endless injuries to their backcourt, Marshall has seized more ball-handling responsibilities than fans could have ever imagined. He has become one of the best playmakers on the team, making his self-heralded proclamation about his passing from before the season even more impressive, and his dribble-drive game has been excellent.
Marshall can get to the rim whenever he wants, and if he gets two feet in the paint, it results in a bucket almost every time due to his unstoppable floater. He also likes to push the pace in transition, and his ability to do whatever Jason Kidd asks of him has been invaluable this season.
When comparing Marshall’s stats from last season to this season, his points, rebounds, assists, and steals per game have all increased significantly, and his $9 million-per-year contract is looking like one of the biggest steals in the NBA. Marshall took the league by storm in Dallas, especially over the last few months due to all of the injuries, and he is one of Harrison’s projects that has actually worked out splendidly.
