Nov 19, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) motions to his teammates as forward Naji Marshall (13) looks on during the second half against the New Orleans Pelicans at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Breakout Mavericks forward breaks silence on Luka Doncic-Lakers trade

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated May 7, 2025 3:15 PM ET

Despite the season being over for both the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers, the Luka Doncic trade remains one of the hottest topics in sports. It's a trade that'll be talked about for as long as basketball is played, as no one in their right mind would trade Luka Doncic, a five-time First-Team All-NBA selection at 25 years old for the package that the Mavericks got.

Dallas' season ended in the Play-In Tournament at the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies, while the Minnesota Timberwolves made quick work of the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs, beating LA in five games. With seasons wrapping up, people are starting to open up about the season.

Naji Marshall, who enjoyed a breakout year in his first season with the Mavericks, was on a Twitch stream with AyeeMont on Tuesday night discussing a few different topics, one being the Luka Doncic trade.

"That was crazy," Marshall said. "I couldn't believe it. I miss Luka though."

Mavericks F Naji Marshall on his reaction to the Luka Dončić trade with the season now over:

“That was crazy. I couldn’t believe it. I miss Luka though.” #MFFL

(: AyeeMont via Twitch) pic.twitter.com/GDSFelNvD6
— Kevin Gray Jr. (@KevinGraySports) May 7, 2025

Marshall was signed to be an enforcer with the Mavs, and he had Luka's back from the beginning. When Luka Doncic went down early in the season with an injury, Marshall tweeted, "WE WAITING ON U 77!!!!!!!"

Philadelphia 76ers guard Quentin Grimes, who was also traded away from the Mavs in the middle of the season, said that Naji was one of the people in the hotel's hallway in complete disbelief when the Doncic trade was first announced. Everyone was acquired to fit around Doncic's skills, so to have him gone in the middle of the night was a major change for everybody.

Marshall started his career with the New Orleans Pelicans but left for Dallas in free agency to be the replacement for Derrick Jones Jr. as a versatile chess piece on the floor. In his first season with the Mavs, he averaged career-highs across the board with 13.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 3.0 APG, and 1.0 SPG. The three-point shot didn't follow him over from New Orleans, but he was asked to be a primary ball-handler a lot more often than was to be expected.

This article first appeared on Dallas Mavericks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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