Mavericks are chasing the long overdue Dirk Nowitzki move fans desperately crave

The Dallas Mavericks have endured enough carnage to last a lifetime. The venom between Luka Doncic and the infamous Nico Harrison has left a bitter aftertaste that not even a scientist like Peter Parker could cure. Only someone with an intimate knowledge of the Dallas fans’ internal fabric could bring levity to the Luka Doncic fiasco that spiraled out of control just one year ago.

That would be Dirk Nowitzki. Dallas’ favorite son. And the very reason why the Mavs have a 2011 championship banner hanging from their rafters. Veteran NBA journalist Marc Stein recently reported that Dallas is looking to bring the best player in Mavs history back in an official capacity. As soon as possible.

Stein mused on his online Substack platform about the infamous first anniversary of Doncic’s unexpected departure from Dallas last February and how a Dirk Nowitzki hiring might take place (subscription required).

“The Mavericks badly want Nowitzki to return to the organization and have conveyed to him that he can do so in any role he chooses, but the 47-year-old has focused this season on his new job as a studio analyst for Amazon as well as his various duties and travel obligations as a FIBA board member and global ambassador for the sport's international governing body," Stein reported.

Dallas hiring Dirk Nowitzki would be a huge step in the right direction

Doncic, the pride of Slovenia, was supposed to follow in Nowitzki’s footsteps and bring more championships into the fold. But alas, Nico Harrison foiled those plans like a sleeper agent straight out of a Jason Bourne movie. Bringing Nowitzki back would be a great way to get the Dallas fans’ dopamine receptors firing on all cylinders again.

Nowitzki played just one season with Doncic, but that was enough time for Nowitzki to feel that Dallas was in good hands when he retired. So he was understandably dismayed when the Nico Harrison trade heard around the world occurred.

Nowitzki seemed to make a conscious decision to fall back into the shadows and see how Dallas’ front office navigated the murky waters of public disdain and ridicule that traveled through the NBA grapevine in the immediate aftermath of the trade.

It had to have been painful for him to see an organization that he helped raise from obscurity so willingly discard a player he viewed as a little brother and the future of the franchise. Nowitzki tried to be respectful whenever he was asked about the trade. But you could tell he wasn’t pleased. He was perplexed.

Now that the dust has settled. Nowitzki may be motivated to lend his expertise on how to bring out the best in great players and to serve as a bridge between the front office and its players. Former Maverick teammate and current Amazon colleague Steve Nash was a big brother for Nowitzki early in his career and provided invaluable guidance for a young player dealing with great expectations.

Nowitzki could be that same voice of reason in a different way for Cooper Flagg, the team’s new franchise player. Flagg is proving the doubters wrong and is looking like a true superstar in the making. The Doncic situation and the lack of communication that occurred absolutely cannot happen again. Nowitzki would be an excellent buffer to ensure it doesn’t.

Bringing Nowitzki back into the fold would be the equivalent of Dirk hitting his patented one-leg fadeaway just one more time. It just feels right.