The greatest player in Dallas Mavericks history is likely returning to the only team he’s ever played for. It’s being reported that the Mavericks are expected to use their remaining cap space to bring back Dirk Nowitzki.
The Dallas Mavericks will likely utilize remaining $5M in salary cap space to re-sign franchise cornerstone Dirk Nowitzki, league sources tell Yahoo. Nowitzki's $5M team option was declined before start of free agency to give Dallas flexibility.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2018
This is no real surprise. While the Mavericks had declined Nowitzki’s option, it was always done with the knowledge that he’d return to Dallas. The flexibility helped the Mavs sign center DeAndre Jordan.
Nowitzki was an effective player for the Mavericks in year 20. He played in 77 games, averaging 12 points and 5.7 rebounds in 24.7 minutes per game. Nowitzki shot 45.6 percent from the field, 40.9 percent on threes, and 89.8 percent from the free-throw line.
Nowitzki’s return, along with the addition of Jordan and a good draft, should give the Mavs a good chance at being competitive in the 2018-19 season.