Mavericks fans better pray this heartbreaking Lakers trade rumor doesn't come true

With the NBA's trade deadline just a week away, Naji Marshall has quickly become one of the hottest names on the market for the Dallas Mavericks. A wiry young wing with the skillset of Marshall's is one that any team in the league can use, and the Los Angeles Lakers are one of those teams that believe acquiring Marshall may make them a better team. They've already shown interest in the 6-foot-6 wing, and time will tell how far they'll go to acquire him.

For the Mavericks, acquiring draft assets or young talent should be at the top of their priority list, but if it means trading any of their players to the Lakers, the Mavs shouldn't hesitate to hang up the phone.

Marshall will garner plenty of suitors for the Mavericks to pick from, and given the history between Los Angeles and Dallas from last season, the Mavs shouldn't even think about engaging in trade conversations for Marshall with the Lakers. Fans are still heartbroken from Luka Doncic being traded to the Lakers last season, and trading another beloved player to their rival would not go over well with a fanbase that is already on edge.

Trading Naji Marshall to the Lakers would be another gut punch to fans

For the past two seasons, Marshall has emerged as one of the Mavericks' best role players, taking yet another leap this regular season. Marshall has averaged an impressive 14.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while shooting 54.4 percent from the field, which, to no surprise, has made him one of the most coveted trade assets on the market.

To no surprise, one of the Lakers' needs is a wing who can affect both ends of the floor, and Marshall fits that description to a tee, which is why it shouldn't be a surprise that the Lakers are interested in acquiring yet another Mavericks player. For Dallas' sake, they cannot trade Marshall to the Lakers, as once again they would be looking like a farm team for the Lakers to pick and choose from, just as they did with Doncic almost one year ago.

This trade would be a heart-ripper for Mavericks fans since Marshall is so beloved, but it would also be another instance in which Dallas is helping the Lakers. The Mavs already gave Los Angeles the ultimate lifeline for life after LeBron James by trading them Doncic, and trading them one of Doncic's favorite teammates from Dallas would be an awful look.

For the Mavericks, it's unclear if they are even willing to deal one of their best players, and it would make total sense if they don't want to trade him. At 28 years old, Marshall is firmly in his prime, but he has already proven that, alongside Cooper Flagg, they can form a nice duo around the perimeter.

While Marshall still offers plenty of reasons to keep him on your roster through a rebuild, this may also be the only time the Mavericks could get a guaranteed future first-round pick out of a trade centered around the wing. The Mavericks haven't been willing to commit to a full rebuild around Flagg with Anthony Davis still on the roster, but with only a week left before the trade deadline, anything could change on an hour's notice.

For Los Angeles, this may be the only time they can acquire a two-way wing of Marshall's expertise while he remains at a low price, which could make him one of their top targets. It remains to be seen if the Lakers and Mavericks have engaged in serious trade conversations around Marshall, but considering they've already shown interest in him, it would be a really bad look for a fanbase still licking its wounds.