As expected, Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki has reportedly opted out of his contract and is set to become an NBA free agent on July 1, per ESPN’s Marc Stein.
ESPN sources say that Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki officially opted out of his contract today and will indeed become a free agent July 1
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 21, 2016
There have been some rumors floating around that the Golden State Warriors view Nowitzki as a fall-back option if they do not land coveted free agent Kevin Durant. If that is the case, he could be a decent fit coming off the bench to spread the floor, but he wouldn’t be an ideal starter.
And while this move by Nowitzki does indicate he might be open to other options outside of Dallas, he has already said he wants to end his career with the Mavericks (more on that here).
No doubt the German superstar would love to end his career on a high note, so it’s not crazy to think he could re-evaluate his stance.
Still, there is no reason to think the Mavericks couldn’t re-tool this offseason with a couple of high-profile free agents of their own. Should that occur, then Nowitzki would assuredly come back to Dallas for his 19th season with the franchise.