Dallas To Decline Dirk Nowitzki’s Team Option For New Deal

As expected, the Dallas Mavericks and Dirk Nowitzki are close to finalizing their decision on his team option for next season.

After drafting Dennis Smith Jr. and prioritizing the resigning of Nerlens Noel, one question looms for Mavericks fans. Will Dirk Nowitzki take another pay cut to help Dallas add depth to the roster?

Much to the delight of faithful Mavs fans, that question was addressed Sunday.

As first reported by ESPN.com’s Marc Stein, Nowitzki’s $25 million team option will be declined by the Mavericks. This move gives Dallas the ability to free up cap space for the upcoming free agency period. The two parties are set to negotiate and agree to a contract that is team-friendly yet respectable for the future Hall Of Famer.

Freeing up additional cap space has the potential to be a game-changer for Dallas. Following the NBA Draft, the front office shared their vision for the organization.

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Dallas has moved away from prioritizing big-name free agents and wants to focus on adding youth and depth. A new deal for Dirk will aid in their quest to do so.

Stein also added that the possibility of a two-year deal being the outcome will be “strongly considered”. That is nothing short of music to the ears of MFFL’s. Considering Nowitzki has hinted towards the 2017-18 season being his last, a two-year deal would be a generous gift.

Dirk has mentioned in the past the significance of completing 20 seasons, at age 40, all in Dallas. A new deal keeping Nowitzki in Dallas through the 2018-19 season would be historic. Our franchise player can very well be the lone player with a 21-year stint all for one team.

In addition to the historic implication, who wouldn’t want to experience Dirk for an extra season?

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The Mavs’ front office have made strides towards bringing us back to playoff contention. After missing the postseason in 2017, Mavericks faithful are eager to return. Having Dirk around to mentor the young core and go into battle with them – priceless.