Dirk Nowitzki has played for the Dallas Mavericks since he was drafted in 1998, but earlier today, he opted out of his contract. Dirk and the Mavericks organization are practically synonymous, so it would be weird to see him playing for another team. Dirk’s teammate Devin Harris recently spoke on the issue at a basketball camp (transcribed by Eddie Sefko of SportingDay):
“I don’t think the big German is going anywhere,” Harris said during an appearance at the Mavericks’ Hoop Camp at Episcopal School of Dallas.
Asked specifically about speculation that Golden State might have interest in Nowitzki if the Warriors are unsuccessful in recruiting Kevin Durant in free agency, Harris paused briefly.
“Uh, I don’t really see that happening, but we’ll see what happens,” he said.
It seems pretty unlikely that Dirk will go anywhere. He is and has been the face of the Mavs for years, and it’d be nice to see him end his career there, but he doesn’t have many years left in his career. Dirk is getting older, and may retire within the next 3-4 years. Does he expect the Mavericks to be good enough to win another title in that time? If not, then he should leave. The game is about championships, and that is what Dirk will be looking for in free agency. It is safe to say that Dirk has one foot in Dallas and one foot out right now.
