5 Dallas Mavericks players that will surprise everyone in 2024-25

4. Naji Marshall

On the first day of free agency, it was reported that former Dallas Mavericks wing Derrick Jones Jr. switched agents. This threw a wrench into Dallas' efforts to try to keep him, and they decided to go with their backup plan.

Dallas' first move of free agency was signing Naji Marshall, and he is poised to surprise everyone with his play on both ends of the floor next season. He has the chance to be just as good or better than Jones Jr. was last season, and he could end up being the best player off the bench.

Last season for the New Orleans Pelicans, Marshall averaged 7.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 0.7 steals per game while shooting 38.7 percent from downtown. This was the best shooting season of his career, and playing next to Luka Doncic should help him have another good 3-point shooting season.

While Marshall's shooting will help Dallas, his defense is going to be much better than people realize. Marshall is a built 6-foot-6 wing with a 7-foot-1 wingspan, and he has the foot speed to lock down guards and forwards. He plays with physicality and tenacity, and Mavs fans are going to love his mentality on that end.

Marshall has become one of the more underrated players in the NBA, and his all-around play should catch Mavs fans who didn't pay much attention to the offseason by surprise. He loves doing all the dirty work, and those types of players always seem to end up being good role players in Dallas.