Dirk Nowitzki is ready to retire a member of the Dallas Mavericks, just not for another two to three years. The veteran is currently playing his 16th season in Dallas and has no plans to go elsewhere despite what his contract dictates. As Nowitzki prepares to hit free agency this summer, he is looking for a deal somewhere in the length of Kobe Bryant's latest extension.
Sportando.net reports that Nowitzki stated in an interview that he will re-sign with the Marvericks for two to three more seasons and then retire after that. The veteran did use the word "likely" in his statement just in case, but all signs point towards Nowitzki remaining with the team. Now the Mavericks must determine just how much to make the deal worth in order to sign another max-contract player in the offseason to help boost the roster.
Bryant signed a two-year, $48.5 million extension with the Lakers that may or may not set the bar for aging veterans showing team loyalty. The issue is just how much that hurts the salary cap space available to sign other players. Nowitzki has stated that he will not seek that large of deal. He is expecting to take a pay cut in order for the Mavericks to add some bulk to the lineup.
"I don't really want to look forward too much," Nowitzki said, via USA Today Sports. "I'm not going to extend, obviously, I'm going to play the season out, then we can talk about the summer. Now that I already reached my goal [of winning it all], I really want to finish my career in Dallas. But saying all that, I don't want another year next year with the same as this year, [with] the frustration and playing for the eight or nine seed."
CBSSports.com reports that Nowitzki could be offered a deal in the range of two to three years and $10 million a season in order to let Dallas have some flexibility. He is currently making $22 million this season so it would be a huge pay cut. The Mavericks will have $31 million dedicated to 10 players. Releasing players like Shawn Marion and Vince Carter would free up some space to give the veteran a bit more cash.
The Mavericks are targeting big names this summer in order to slowly move away from the Nowitzki era as the veteran transitions into a role player job. ESPN has reported names like Luol Deng and Chris Bosh are both on the radar of Dallas.
