The Mavericks are giving two of their hard-nosed rotation pieces new looks for the 2026-27 season.
Max Christie is moving from No. 00 to No. 0, while Naji Marshall will go from No. 13 to No. 3, according to The Dallas Morning News’ Mike Curtis and a Mavericks spokesperson. Christie’s old number was worn by Dante Exum for much of the last three seasons before Exum was traded to the Washington Wizards in February. Marshall’s previous number belonged to Anthony Davis, who wore No. 13 during his short Dallas run after coming over as the main piece in the Luka Doncic trade.
For Christie, the switch comes after he established himself as a starter in his first full season with Dallas. He averaged a career-best 12.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 29.1 minutes per game, while knocking down 40.8% of his three-pointers on 5.8 attempts. That kind of shot-making is exactly the sort of value the Mavericks want around their core.
Marshall brings a different kind of impact. He can score at the rim, rebound, pass, and defend, even if the long-range jumper remains a struggle. His ability to get into the paint gives Dallas another useful weapon.
The new numbers also carry a little Mavericks history. No. 0 doesn’t have a deep lineage in Dallas, but Shawn Marion wore it from 2009-14 and helped the team win its first NBA championship in 2011. No. 3 has had a much busier past, with ties to former Mavericks including Kevin Ollie, Vernon Max, Rodrigue Beaubois, Shane Larkin, Charlie Villanueva, and Nerlens Noel.
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Utah now plans to pair Hayes with Jusuf Nurkic, which makes the Jazz a far less obvious destination in any Gafford pursuit. For Dallas, that means the front office has to keep looking for another team willing to take on a center with value, while also sorting through its own roster construction after adding Morez Johnson Jr. in the draft and trading for Santi Aldama. [Read more 🡒]
