Nico Harrison was recently fired. It's no understatement to say that his tumultuous tenure has left the Mavericks in a palpable wake of chaos and destruction.
While Harrison's vision of trading Luka Doncic was undoubtedly a 'win now' move, the reality of the Mavericks has been anything but. While part of this substellar result can no doubt be attributed to poor injury luck, was that really so unexpected?
Relying on two aging vets in Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis, the latter of whom has been well known to have a career marred with extensive injuries, is no recipe for success if you're trying to build a team that can last until April and beyond in the NBA.
After trading Doncic away, the Mavericks not only ended up missing the 2025 playoffs (which turned out to be a blessing in disguise, after sheepishly waltzing their way into drafting Cooper Flagg with the 1st overall pick), but they've also had a rocky start to the 2025-2026 campaign, slated to miss the playoffs for a second straight year after their 'win now' philosophy was employed.
It should therefore come as absolutely no surprise that Harrison saw the proverbial guillotine last week. Mortgaging your future while also failing to win now isn't just poor management, it's no management at all.
The good news for Hawks fans (and fans all around the league, for that matter)? Dallas appears to now be in the midst of hosting a fire sale of every non-Flagg Maverick.
The Mavericks' diamond in the rough: Naji Marshall
While there are certainly a pair of big names no doubt slated to be on the move soon in Dallas in Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis, the Hawks might not be in the market for such a big-time shakeup. Instead, there are a number of supporting players in Dallas that can still make a splash for Atlanta without setting their pocketbook ablaze.
The chief of this category is Naji Marshall. A prototypical 3&D wing who has played meaningful minutes for both the New Orleans Pelicans and pre-Luka trade Mavericks, Marshall is likely on the move for a number of reasons.
First and foremost, we know the Mavericks will do anything in their power to move towards youth and build around Flagg. Marshall just doesn't fit that timeline. Second, Naji hasn't exactly been a first-rate sniper since departing New Orleans. In fact, while the wing was able to drill over 38% of his looks from range the season before his stint in Texas began, he's only been shooting around 27% in the two seasons since.
Perhaps a change of scenery would benefit Marshall, a scene where he'd be able to play off elite distributor Trae Young and point forward Jalen Johnson. While his shot is certainly a bit of a risk to bank on, you know you're at least getting stellar defense from the physical wing, something Atlanta could certainly use.
The best part about Marshall? He's only making $9M a season for the next two years. His asking price would likely be no greater than salary matching and a second round pick or two - something Atlanta is more than capable of paying.
While adding Naji Marshall wouldn't immediately make Atlanta title favorites, it would be a keen spot-up for a squad looking to bolster itself up and down the roster as it heads into an imminent playoff run.