Naji Marshall: Family & NBA Contracts [2023 Update]

Publish date: 2024-05-06

When life throws you a curveball, what do you do? Well, if you’re Naji Marshall, you take that curveball and dunk it like a pro!

Marshall, an American NBA player, plays small forward for New Orleans Pelicans after signing a four-year rest-of-season contract with the team in 2021.

Earlier, he was on a two-way contract with the Pelicans that saw him splitting his time with its G-league team Birmingham Squadron (formerly Erie BayHawks).

Despite going undrafted in 2020, he has proved time and time again that he’s got what it takes to make it in the big leagues.

On January 7, 2023, Naji Mauric Marshall scored his NBA career-high 24 points though they lost to the Mavericks.

The Xavier University attendant got athletic traits & toughness from his father, who is a former boxer & now an elementary basketball coach.

His mother raised him as a single parent & shaped him with professional ethics & compassion for his career.

Marshall’s noteworthy NBA 2K23 rating of 74 indicates his exceptional abilities on the court, indicating that he’s a player who can’t be ignored.

Stay with us as we closely examine Marshall’s journey thus far and his standout career in professional basketball.

Quick Facts

Full NameNaji Maurice Marshall
Nick NameThe Knife, Swiss Army Knife
Date of BirthJanuary 24, 1998
Age25  years old
Birth PlaceAtlantic City, New Jersey
NationalityAmerican
EthnicityAfrican-American
Father’s NameMaurice Marshall
Mother’s NameRayna Whitted
SiblingsSix (Five Brothers & One Sister)
Zodiac SignScorpio
Height6 feet 7 inches / 2.01 m / 201 cm
Weight220 lbs / 100 kg
High SchoolHargrave Military Academy
UniversityXavier University (2017-2020)
ReligionChristianity
GirlfriendN/A
ChildrenNone
ProfessionBasketball Player
NBA DraftUndrafted
LeagueNBA
PositionSmall Forward / Power Forward
TeamNew Orleans Pelicans (2020-present)
Jersey Number8
Playing Career2020-present
Net Worth$1 Million
Social MediaTwitter, Instagram
MerchPlaque
Last UpdateDecember 2023

Parents Were Separated | More On Family!

Born on November 3, 1998, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Naji Maurice Marshall is the son of Maurice Marshall and Rayna Whitted. His parents are separated.

He has six half-siblings, five brothers: Tai, Maurice, Austin, Craig, and Myles, and a sister named Martia.

Naji’s father is a former football player who played at Pleasantville High School in the mid-80s & then was a boxer (fought seven matches).

Currently, Marshall Sr. serves as a basketball coach at an elementary school.

After his parent’s separation, the future NBA player moved in with his mother from New Jersey to Maryland at the age of nine.

While in Maryland, his mother worked two jobs: as an accounting clerk at a transportation company during the day & as a front desk officer at the Greenbelt Recreation Center in the evening.

Now, Rayna works at Providence Hospital in Washington, D.C.

Age, Height & Body Measurements

Marshall was born in 1998, which makes him 25  years old as of 2023. His zodiac sign is Scorpio.

The American basketball player stands 2.01 m (6 feet 7 inches) tall & weighs 220 lbs (100 kg). He has a wingspan of 7 feet 0.75 inches (2.15 m) and a standing reach of 8 feet 6.5 inches (2.6 m).

By the time he completed high school, he was already 1.95 m.

He maintains a well-built body by exercising regularly and following a balanced diet. 

Marshall also has several tattoos on his body. He has a tattoo on his left arm that says “Strong Warrior” in Arabic. He also has a tattoo of a lion on his right arm and a cross on his chest.

Education & Collegiate Basketball

Marshall attended three different high schools- first, he went to Takoma Academy and transferred to Eleanor Roosevelt High School during his sophomore year.

As a sophomore, he scored a career-high 31 points in a win at St. John’s. In his senior year of high school, Naji averaged 17 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and two steals per game.

Naji Marshall also spent a postgraduate year at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Virginia, where he was ranked as a four-star recruit by ESPN.

For his collegiate basketball career, he went to Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he played for three seasons (2017-20) under coach Travis Steele. 

His college career averaged 12.9 points (a total of 1,277 points), 5.9 points & 3.0 rebounds per game.

He majored in liberal arts and graduated in 2020.

Collegiate Highlights & Awards

NBA Career As An Undrafted Player

Naji Maurice Marshall was not drafted in the 2020 NBA Draft and later made a potential NBA entry with the 2020 NBA Summer League with New Orleans Pelicans.

On December 7, 2020, he signed a two-way contract with the Pelicans, splitting his time with its G-league affiliate Birmingham Squadron (formerly Erie BayHawks).

The New Jersey-born made his NBA debut on January 15, 2021, in a loss against the Lakers.

Marshall had a breakout game on April 16, 2021, against the Washington Wizards, where he recorded a career-high 16 points, along with 11 rebounds, six assists, and three steals.

As a result, the player became the first undrafted rookie in Pelicans history to record a double-double.

His NBA rookie season averaged 7.7 points, 4.6 rebounds & 2.8 assists, inclusive of a season-high 20 points against the Warriors on May 14, 2021.

Having signed a standard NBA deal with the Pelicans in 2021, Marshall’s contract validation remains through the 2023-24 season.

On January 22, 2022, he, along with Trey Murphy III, was re-assigned to the Pelican’s G-league team Squadron but was called to NBA after two days.

Is Naji Marshall Dating Anyone?

No, the NBA player is not dating anyone officially at the moment. For now, there are no reports of his alleged girlfriend or rumored relationships.

Moreover, Naji is free from dating records in the past.

Even though his Instagram handle @najimarshall has more than 22.5K followers, he seldom makes posts on the platform. He also has a Twitter account (@MarshallNaji) which he joined in October 2020.

Seems he is currently focused on his NBA career and makes himself occupied with training & games.

Net Worth & Contract

As of 2023, Naji Maurice Marshall has an estimated net worth of $1 million. Yet to land a significant endorsement deal, the basketball player earns mostly from his NBA contracts.

During his rookie year, he played with the Pelicans on a two-way contract & earned a salary of $120K.

On May 7, 2021, Marshall signed the rest-of-season contract worth $5.35 million with the Pelicans for four years. The deal has a guaranteed amount of $3.42 million.

In the 2021-22 season, Naji’s salary was $1.5 million, more than 12.5 times of the payroll he received in the 2020 season.

His paycheck in the 2022-23 season is $1.78 million, which goes up to $1.93 million in the following season (i.e. 2023-24 season).

Interesting Facts

Frequently Asked Questions

What is jersey number of Naji Marshall?

Naji Marshall wears jersey number 8 for the New Orleans Pelicans. He also wore the same number when he played college basketball for the Xavier Musketeers. 

When did Naji Marshall join the NBA?

Naji joined the NBA in 2020 as an undrafted free agent and signed a two-way contract with the New Orleans Pelicans.

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