Dirk Nowitzki has the potential opportunity of becoming a free agent this summer by opting out of his player option by the end of June. For the 18 year veteran and perennial All-Star Dirk and future Hall-of-Famer, the Mavericks are the only option he really sees in free agency.
Dirk sat down with ‘The Ben & Skin Show‘ In Dallas to discuss what’s next for him, and how the Mavericks play a part in it (Via Mavs.com):
“Just trying to find out what the best (thing to do) is,” he said. “Is it best to stay in the contract and play next year and keep the same pay, or should I opt out? Is that best for the franchise? Just trying to find out from Donnie and Mark what’s out there, what the plan is. So, 100%, my mind’s not made up, but I’m leaning toward opting out and trying to help, and see what’s out there.”
When asked about the idea of tanking and taking a step back with this franchise, Nowitzki was a little hesitant to the fact, but who blames him. If I were in his position, I wouldn’t want to spend the last couple years of my career rebuilding and tanking the franchise you spent 18 years on. Remind you of anyone? As a fan of Kobe Bryant and Dirk, I wouldn’t want the same thing that happened to Bryant happen to Dirk Nowitzki, where they spend the latter part of their careers developing young players and tanking. It’s just not in the DNA of players like that and Dirk agrees.
“Tanking is just not part of my DNA, not the way I’m wired,” he said. “I want to win, I want to compete. … I want to have the feeling this franchise is going for it. I think that’s what these fans deserve. We’ve had some of the most loyal fans there. I think the sellout streak is still going, as far as I’m concerned. They deserve better than for us to just tank and go for a high draft pick. That’s not what Mark and Donnie and the whole franchise stand for.
“But I do understand that decision. If a franchise decides to take a few steps back to eventually take another step forward, then I understand that decision. But I don’t need to be a part of that.”
Nowitzki still has some time to make his final decision regarding his contract, but regardless of what happens, he has no plans to play for another team. He will be a Maverick in 2016-17, just like he’s always been.
With President Donnie Nelson and Owner Mark Cuban you can expect that Dirk will 100% be back in a Mavericks uniform next year. The big question is, who is going to playing beside him? They have enough space to chase after a player they believe can change the course of the franchise and help build around the players they already have like Wesley Matthews and Chandler Parsons. The Mavericks were eliminated in 5 games in the Playoffs by the Oklahoma City Thunder, and you can bet that Dirk wants a chance to be back in the Playoffs next year.
You can check out the full audio here, where he talks about other things like his diet, smack-talking NBA players and even baseball.
