Mavericks' top trade candidate just flipped — and it's not who you expect

Daniel Gafford has long been reported as the Dallas Maverick who has the most trade interest around the NBA leading up to the February 5 trade deadline, but Naji Marshall has passed him in that department, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.

With Anthony Davis looking like he'll stay put, other Mavericks have entered the forefront of conversation in trade rumors. Many Mavericks fans have expected Davis to be a valuable trade asset for some time now, but his hand injury changed that. He may now remain in Dallas until the offseason.

The Mavericks need to free up some cap space soon to properly build around Cooper Flagg beginning this summer, and this starts with trading some of their valuable veterans.

Marshall has been drawing trade interest for weeks, and it's starting to look like teams from across the league are coveting the 6-foot-6 wing. He is playing the best basketball of his career at the perfect time, and the Mavs may have no choice but to trade him over the next nine days. His value is peaking right ahead of the deadline, and Dallas could feel real pressure to take advantage of this despite preferring to keep him in Big D.

Naji Marshall — not Daniel Gafford — is the talk of the town in Dallas

"Early in the season, when I routinely said Daniel Gafford is generating the most robust trade interest of any Maverick, I would probably shift that now to Naji Marshall," Stein reported.

Stein continued to talk about how Marshall's contract is extremely team-friendly, as he is making about $9 million annually through the end of next season, and he is playing at an elite level. But the Mavs' view on him could ultimately lead to them holding onto him despite the phone ringing off the hook.

Along with Max Christie, the Mavericks consider Marshall as someone who is a "very valued member of the post-Luka era," and if a team wants Marshall, they're going to have to give up a valuable first-round pick at the very least.

In 46 games this season, Marshall is averaging 14.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and a career-high 1.1 steals per game while shooting 54.5 percent from the field. He has been everything that the Mavs are hoping for and more, and has been a great fit next to Cooper Flagg and Christie.

Finding players who fit best with Flagg needs to be a priority as the team enters the new era, and Marshall clearly checks this box. His ability to put pressure on the rim, handle the ball, and play strong defense makes him someone who can play with Flagg in most units, and his versatility is among the best on the team.

As a Maverick, he has played every position from point guard to center, and Mavs fans would've never expected for "The Knife" to turn into this much of a Swiss Army Knife when the team signed him over Derrick Jones Jr. in the summer of 2024. He has become one of the best value contracts in the NBA, and this is why so many teams are calling about him.

He has the skills on both ends of the floor to turn the tide of a playoff series on his own, and his tenacity, physicality, and energy put him in a class of his own. Marshall is a winner and enforcer who hates losing, and any team would be lucky to land him in a deal over the next week or so.

With the Mavericks needing to avoid the second apron next season, deals for players like Marshall, Gafford, or Klay Thompson seem possible, as Davis' trade value is nowhere close to what it once was. Marshall has stolen Gafford's crown of having the most significant trade market on the team, and this could lead to Dallas having to capitalize on his high value.