Dallas Mavericks and Dirk Nowitzki put pen to paper

In a deal that is shocking no one, the Dallas Mavericks and Dirk Nowitzki have made the one-year, $5 million deal official, according to Shams Charania of Yahoo! Sports. Dirk is set to play in his 21st NBA season, which will likely be his last.

The living legend that is Dirk Nowitzki has put pen to paper on what will likely be his final contract as an NBA player. In his 21st season in the league and with the Dallas Mavericks, Dirk is set to make $5 million, a small amount compared to what he has gotten in the past and could’ve gotten if he wanted it.

Dirk has been the definition of loyalty in the NBA for the past 21 years. You probably couldn’t even find a dog as loyal to you as Dirk Nowitzki has been to Dallas. His dedication to the game and to the city have been so unbelievable that there will likely never be a star in Dallas in any sport that can say they did more for their team.

Alright, now that I’m off my soap box, let’s talk a few details.

1. This deal is unique for Dirk in the last few years because it is a one-year deal. Recently he has been playing on a two-year deal with a team option in year two. This is noteworthy because it takes some of the mystery out of it. Although Dirk could still sign another one-year deal next year, most are pretty confident that this is the final season for the Big German.

2. The fact that this deal happened on the 23rd of July should give fans an idea of what kind of loyalty Dirk brings to the table. He waited for weeks to allow the Mavs to pursue any options that they wanted to fill out the roster. He would’ve gladly taken the mid-level exception or probably even a veteran’s minimum if that would help put the team in a position to be as successful as possible.

Dirk is the ultimate team player and he is playing for the ultimate player’s owner. There is no better way to put it then the relationship between Dirk Nowitzki and Mark Cuban is one that will go down in the history books.

3. Dirk really still deserves at least $5 million. He may not be the guy he used to be, but Dirk can still be Dirk on any given night. As Toby Keith would say, “He ain’t as good as he once was, but he’s as good once as he ever was”. I’m not sure if he is ready to put up any 50-point, 15-rebound games again, but he will always be a threat from anywhere on the court.

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Bringing Dirk back was the final big step for the Dallas Mavericks this summer. They may be back to make another move or two before it is all said and done, but don’t expect anything major. This was a great summer for the Mavs.