Xavier Professional Athletes

Xavier Musketeers in the NBA | Oct. 4–10, 2026

Two Xavier alumni are keeping the Musketeers' name alive on the global basketball stage this week — and both are doing it far from an NBA hardwood.

Naji Marshall Is Already Putting in Work in Macao

Coming off the best season of his professional career, Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall hasn't taken a moment to coast. Marshall averaged 15.2 points per game for the Mavericks in 2025–26 — a genuine breakout for a player who spent his early NBA years as a versatile, under-the-radar contributor. Now, he's carrying that momentum into the offseason, reportedly "choosing violence" in Macao in what appears to be a competitive international appearance during the NBA's downtime.

For Xavier fans who watched Marshall develop from a scrappy, switchable defender into a legitimate offensive option at the NBA level, the arc is satisfying. He entered the league in 2020 as an undrafted free agent and has outworked the skepticism every step of the way. A 15-point-per-game season at 26 years old doesn't just signal arrival — it signals staying power. The Mavericks will want him back in the fold when training camp opens, and Marshall appears to be doing everything right to show up ready.

Quincy Olivari Lands Overseas After Lakers Roster Move

On the other side of the ledger, fellow Xavier product Quincy Olivari is navigating a transition. The former Lakers guard — who developed a fan following in Los Angeles during his time in the organization — has found a new home overseas after his G League rights were traded away. It's the kind of roster-shuffling move that happens quietly every offseason, but for Olivari, the response has been to get to work internationally rather than wait around.

The encouraging sign: his start overseas is being described as promising. Olivari, a crafty guard whose scoring ability was never in question, is the type of player who can use a strong international showing to stay on NBA radars. The G League pipeline runs both directions, and players who thrive abroad often find their way back into NBA conversations before the season ends.

The Xavier Pipeline Holds

Marshall and Olivari aren't household names in the broader NBA conversation — yet — but they represent exactly the kind of development story that Xavier basketball has quietly built its reputation around. Sean Miller's program doesn't always produce lottery picks, but it produces pros who stick, adapt, and find ways to contribute at the highest level.

With Marshall entering what could be his prime earning years and Olivari using an overseas stint to keep his stock elevated, Musketeers fans have two genuine reasons to stay engaged with the NBA world this offseason. The league's global calendar means the action never truly stops — and neither, apparently, do Xavier alumni.

Other Xavier-affiliated NBA players include Kaiser Gates (Pelicans), Colby Jones (Pistons, SG), and Edmond Sumner (Hornets), though no notable activity was reported for those alumni this period.

Xavier's NBA alumni class is scattered across the globe this preseason — and for two of them, the early 2026-27 storylines are already worth watching.

Naji Marshall: Still Choosing Violence

Naji Marshall came into the 2025-26 season as a depth piece. He's leaving it as a legitimate rotation cornerstone — and apparently, he's not slowing down. The Mavericks forward averaged 15.2 points per game last season, a career high that reframed what Dallas can expect from him night to night. Now he's carrying that momentum into the preseason, with reports out of Macao suggesting Marshall arrived locked in and ready to build on his breakout. For a player who spent his early NBA years carving out a role, the leap to double-digit scoring on a playoff-caliber team is no small thing. Xavier fans who watched him develop in Cincinnati know this version of Marshall has been coming for a while.

Quincy Olivari: A New Chapter After Lakers Roster Move

The road has been bumpier for Olivari. The former Lakers guard saw his G League rights dealt in a roster move, nudging him toward a new situation — and he's responded by taking his game overseas, where early returns have reportedly been encouraging. Olivari was a fan favorite during his time in the Lakers organization, a quick and crafty point guard who flashed real upside in limited opportunities. The G League rights trade closes one door, but his overseas stint appears to be opening another. How that trajectory plays out — whether it leads back to an NBA roster or cements a career abroad — is one of the more interesting subplots for Xavier's NBA pipeline heading into the season.

The Broader Picture

Xavier's active NBA presence extends beyond those two. Colby Jones remains on the Pistons as a shooting guard, while Edmond Sumner is with the Hornets and Kaiser Gates holds a spot on the Pelicans roster. None of those three generated significant news this week, but the depth of Musketeers representation across the league speaks to a program that has quietly become a reliable NBA feeder.

Marshall's ascent is the headline right now — a Xavier alum entrenched in a starting-caliber role on a Mavericks team with championship ambitions. But Olivari's resilience in the face of a roster setback is the kind of story that tends to get overlooked until it suddenly isn't. Keep both on your radar.