The Dallas Mavericks have made their first move of free agency and it’s not the name some expected. While the Mavs have discussions with Klay Thompson and Derrick Jones Jr., they’ve decided to go ahead and pull the trigger on a 3&D wing.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Mavericks are signing New Orleans Pelicans’ forward Naji Marshall to a 3-year, $27 million deal. It was reported that Marshall could become a target for Dallas if they couldn’t come to agreements with Jones Jr., who remains a free agent. Marshall will fit into part of Dallas’ mid-level exception.

READ MORE: Dallas Mavericks Free Agent Target Plans To Sign With Orlando Magic

Marshall, a 26-year-old from Xavier, has spent all four years of his career with New Orleans. He averaged 7.1 PPG and 3.6 RPG as part of a deep Pelicans team and shot a career-high 38.7% from 3-point range. He has good size at 6’7″ and 220 pounds and offers defensive versatility.

Depending on the structure of his deal, Dallas will still have around $4 million left in their midlevel exception. It’s not certain if Derrick Jones Jr., who Nico Harrison called their priority 1A and 1B this offseason, would be willing to take a 1+1 deal worth the remaining of the exception to return. They’re also still working out a possible sign-and-trade to acquire Klay Thompson. If that falls through, they could work out a sign-and-trade for Marshall if they needed to.

Welcome to Dallas Naji Marshall. He should have an easier opportunity than ever to get his shot off getting open looks from Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Signings cannot become official until July 6th.

READ MORE: Warriors’ Klay Thompson To Meet With Dallas Mavericks Among Other Teams In Free Agency

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Let’s take a look at some of the Dallas Cowboys news and headlines making the rounds in Cowboys Nation as we wrap up the weekend on the final day of June.

The Dallas Cowboys kick off training camp in late July, and there will be a number of highly-contested battles on the roster.

There has been a lot of talk about the WR3 competition, but there are other players on the roster who could find themselves fighting to keep their starting roles.

InsideTheStar.com looked at three players who could lose their starting jobs in 2024, including a running back, offensive lineman, and defensive back.

Third-round pick Marist Liufau has been generating hype throughout OTAs and minicamp, and as he prepares for his first ever training camp, he is expected to make an early impact.

Not only will Liufau likely find himself in the linebacker rotation in his rookie season, he’ll be expected to contribute on special teams.

DallasCowboys.com identifies his instincts as a factor that makes him NFL ready.

His first step is decisive and impressive, and there isn’t a lot of guesswork in his game. On the reps wherein he does have a misstep, it’s because he hesitated before accelerating toward the play but, once he does, he’s a missile.

He plays to the whistle and takes attempted blocks as disrespect, violently shedding them en route to what is usually a sound tackle. Not many ball carriers can evade him in open space, or when he gets his hands on them. He’ll be looked upon to contribute heavily as a rookie third-round pick, on both defense and special teams in 2024.

– Patrik Walker, The Mothership

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The Cowboys hope Liufau will be able to make an early impact like his NFL record-setting cousin, Puka Nacua.

MORE: Cowboys’ Marist Liufau has family ties with NFL record-setting WR

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