Before small-ball lineups became a staple of the NBA, Shawn Marion was already showing how effective they could be. The Matrix played the power forward position during the Phoenix Suns' "7 Seconds or Less" era despite lacking the size and still succeeded.
To Marion's credit, he more than made up for the disparity with his motor and athleticism. He gave the Suns the freedom to play smaller without sacrificing their ability to compete on the glass or keep up defensively.
Whether he played the natural 3 or the 4 under Mike D'Antoni, Marion was already productive. He averaged a double-double by his second season, and continued to hover around 20 and 10 over the next three years.
Then came D'Antoni, Steve Nash, and the abolition of the hand-checking rule. MDA had to play the hand that he was dealt while simultaneously devising something that could neutralize Shaquille O'Neal . His brainchild was an ultra fast-paced offense he called "7 Seconds or Less."
However, that wouldn't have worked without Marion working in the trenches. While the spotlight focused on Nash as the MVP facilitator and Amar'e Stoudemire as the highlight reel interior scorer, Matrix picked up the offensive scraps left between the team's stars and the 3-point shooters.
So if he became a multiple All-Star doing those things 20 years ago, there's no reason Marion couldn't do it now.
"I think I can play in every era personally. But definitely, this would be a lot more tailored to me because of how fast it is and me being able to go out one through five," Marion told Hayden Cilley of ClutchPoints. "I mean, I was able to do a ton with real power forwards and real centers. Now, I'm not saying it's not physical, but they don't post up. Everything is now a face guard, which was catered to me easily then.
"I probably have way more steals now, way more steals, way more blocks, way more rebounds," added the 2011 NBA champion.
As Marion listed the reasons he'd be a seamless fit in the modern game, Cilley pushed the four-time All-Star to consider how much money he'd make today.
"Oh my God. I don't know what it would be right now," Marion stated.
Well, Marion made over $133 million in 16 years, according to Spotrac . His biggest contract came during his Suns heyday, worth over $86 million over six years. That's an average annual salary of over $14 million, which was nearly three times the average. That firmly puts Marion among the top 10 highest-paid players each year during that span.
Now, imagine the haul somebody of Marion's caliber could bring in. For example, Houston's Amen Thompson signed a rookie-scale extension worth $208 million over five years this offseason. That's more than $40 million a year over the next half a decade!
The same goes for his twin, Ausar. The Detroit Pistons forward secured a five-year, $155 million extension. If you did the math, that's an average annual salary of $31 million.
Notably, neither Thompson twin is as offensively gifted as Marion was. Ausar averaged less than 10 points over his career, while Amen is mediocre at 14.4. As mentioned, Shawn's numbers were already in the double-double range as early as years 2 and 3!
Prime Marion in today's NBA? That's a max contract waiting to happen.
Marion's self-assessment was spot on. His versatility and elite two-way prowess scream "superstar" in the modern game. He was Scottie Barnes, only a better scorer, rebounder and 3-point shooter than the Toronto Raptors forward. (Barnes' max-scale, rookie-extension contract worth $224 million over five years kicked in last season.)
However, the only thing that might prevent this hypothetical scenario from happening is that Marion actually complained about his small-ball 4 role in Phoenix. He was livid about not getting any plays called for him and requested a trade. The Suns obliged, and he returned to mediocrity again, stats-wise, but played a crucial role on the Mavs roster that won the 2011 NBA Finals against a stacked Miami Heat squad led by LeBron, D-Wade and Chris Bosh.
It's never a given when we're talking about the NBA. We can discuss hypotheticals all we want, but it's no guarantee Marion will be a better version of himself in this era. The stats may support it, but other factors are definitely very much in play.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Oct 25, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
