NBA Legen, Dirk Nowitzki gives Mark Cuban cap-room flexibility in new pay-cut.
Dirk Alert. The future Hall of Fame 7 foot sharpshooter has once again proven his loyalty to Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks, by agreeing to a new 3-year deal worth an estimated $30M; and giving the Mavericks more financial flexibility. When asked about his future, Nowitzki made it clear where his allegiance was saying “Like I always said, it wouldn’t even feel right if I played somewhere else.” He later told ESPN Dallas “Cubes (Mavs owner Mark Cuban) knows I don’t want to go anywhere and he doesn’t want me to go anywhere.”
We’re guessing that will be over pretty quick and then we can focus on making this franchise even better. This deal is not going to be about squeezing out the last dollar. We’ll have to wait for exact contractual terms, but the outcome should be respectable for both sides.
Although, Dirk is aging and most would expect less production out of him – that doesn’t seem to be happening anytime soon. Last season, he poured in 21.7 points an outing while grabbing 6.2 boards in a season where Dallas pushed the eventual NBA champion Spurs to a 7 game series. The Mavericks quietly proved they are back to an elite level by giving us a better match-up than the actual NBA Finals, where the Spurs steamrolled the Miami Heat.
Dirk always likely to be first major free agent to decide. Sources say sides agreed today to three-year pact believed to be in $30M ballpark
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 3, 2014
The Mavericks intend on showing the league where they stand amongst the best by recently re-acquiring Tyson Chandler, who played a huge role in 2011 when Dallas won their first ever NBA championship. The team was hoping to land one more key piece in free agent Carmelo Anthony, who met with Cuban on Wednesday night but it will remain to be seen how well that meeting went. With or without Melo, the Mavericks have done a great job of building around their centerpiece Dirk in Monta Ellis and Tyson Chandler. They will continue to attempt to add pieces over the summer most notably Kings guard Isiah Thomas, in an attempt it seems to re-create the 2011 team as well as that success.
Nowitzki, 36, also shares that sentiment heading into the final stretch of his career and a great one it has been thus far.
OS REWIND: The 2014 NBA Draft 1st Round Picks
OS REWIND: The Biggest Free Agents of the 2014 NBA Off-Season
OS REWIND: Winners, Losers & Head Scratchers From The 2014 NBA Draft