New Orleans Pelicans Player Departure Named Top Under-The-Radar Move

A New Orleans Pelicans player who left in free agency was named one of the top under-the-radar moves of the 2024 NBA offseason.

Jan 13, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Naji Marshall (8) warms up before the game against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The New Orleans Pelicans’ roster underwent some major changes during the 2024 NBA offseason. More player movement could be on the horizon depending on what happens with Brandon Ingram on the trade front.

Their biggest move of the offseason was acquiring guard Dejounte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks. He provides the team with another ball-handler and playmaker, pushing CJ McCollum off the ball where he is most comfortable.

With a stellar defense already in place, Murray helps ensure things remain productive on that end of the court. His acquisition also meant big changes to the frontcourt.

Larry Nance Jr. was part of the trade, along with Dyson Daniels, heading to the Hawks. In free agency, Jonas Valanciunas also departed, signing a deal with the Washington Wizards. Veteran Daniel Theis was signed in free agency to help replace depth and a first-round pick was used on Baylor product Yves Missi.

A lot of attention has been given to the frontcourt and how different things will look, and rightfully so. But, there is one player who isn’t receiving the attention they deserve; Naji Marshall.

Undrafted out of Xavier in the 2020 NBA Draft, he worked hard to carve out a role in the New Orleans rotation the last four seasons. He was an important part of Wille Green’s bench as a versatile player on the wing.

His improvement as a 3-point shooter was huge for the Pelicans this past season. He made a career-high 38.7 percent of his attempts, turning into a legitimate 3-and-D option for the team to rely on.

Marshall will now be filling a similar role for the Dallas Mavericks. He departed New Orleans as a free agent this summer, agreeing to a three-year, $27 million contract. Recently, Brian Martin of NBA.com recognized that signing as one of the best under-the-radar moves of the 2024 NBA offseason.

“Last offseason, Derrick Jones Jr. signed a one-year deal with the Mavs on the veteran’s minimum and established himself as a starting 3-and-D wing for a team that made it to the NBA Finals.

While the Mavs weren’t able to retain Jones, they bring in a player in Marshall with a similar skillset – a versatile wing defender that forced opponents to shoot 4.2% worse than their normal FG% (14th best differential in the league), while shooting a career-best 38.7% from 3-point range last season,” Martin wrote.

3-and-D players are at a premium in the positionless style of basketball the NBA has become. If Marshall’s improvement as a 3-point shooter was not an anomaly, the Mavericks have gotten quite a steal.

It takes a specific kind of player to succeed in playing alongside ball-dominant stars such as Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Marshall has proven to have that skill set and should fit nicely into Jason Kidd’s rotation for the defending Western Conference champs.