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Dirk Nowitzki

Nowitzki On Mavs, Free Agents, Playoffs

April 1st, 2013 at 10:18pm CST by Zachary Links

In today’s column, NBA.com’s David Aldridge posted segments from his one-on-one chat with the Mavericks‘ Dirk Nowitzki.  Nowitzki discussed his career, the club’s future, and more in a comprehensive interview.  Here’s a look at some of the highlights..

Are you still confident the front office can build a contender again?

I think sometimes you just need to gamble a little bit. You need to take chances. You may have to take a contract that people may say is not a good contract. But the great thing is if you have cap space, you can do that. I think with cap space you can still turn a franchise around pretty quick. So, yeah, we’re just gonna go for it this summer and see what’s out there in free agency. If not, maybe sign and trade, or trades. We just have to wait and see. So what we have to do now is just let it all hang out in the last three weeks or so, see if we make the push to the playoffs, and if not, we’ll see what we’ve got going through the Draft, and then July will be a big month for us.

Are you a recruiter now?

I’m obviously gonna be here most of the summer. If they need me to go somewhere or call somebody, I’ll obviously be more than happy to. This is my home. Once you’ve won it all, you want that feeling again. You don’t want to be out of the playoffs looking in. We’d love to have that feeling again. The city was so excited. The franchise was. We’d love to at least play for that again. It’s a big summer for us, and anything I can do, I’ll be here.

How hard is [fighting for a playoff spot] for you?  

It’s another challenge for me. We had some years in those playoffs when we weren’t top four (in the West), from four to eight. That already felt like that wasn’t a great year for us. So we obviously are used to high standards around here, the franchise and the city is disappointed in that way a little bit, with us (normally) winning 50 games every year and being right up there and having home court usually in the first round. It’s been tough since we won the championship. Last year we were obviously a seventh, eighth seed, and this year we’re still on the outside looking in. So it’s been a tough year back to back. It’s been written a bunch about the business decisions we’ve made, and we’re moving forward. But we know that this is a big summer for us. We don’t thrive on playing for the eighth seed. We thrive higher. Hopefully we can make some stuff happen this summer and be a great team again.

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Western Notes: Lakers, Dirk, Clippers

March 21st, 2013 at 9:41pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Mike Trudell of Lakers.com writes that with the exception of Jordan Hill, the Lakers appear on the verge of being the healthiest they've been all season when Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol are expected return to the lineup on Friday. Though Mike Bresnahan of the LA Times noted that Kobe left practice early after his ankle stiffined during scrimmages, coach Mike D'Antoni told reporters after practice that the Lakers star will be ready tomorrow. We've got a few more links to share out of the Western Conference below:

  • Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki briefly discussed his NBA future with Jeff Caplan of NBA.com. When asked about playing for three more seasons: "I’m not sure about all that. We’ll just have to wait and see…Hopefully I can finish this season strong and have a good summer like I basically did last year with a lot of lifting and running and hopefully not have a setback with a surgery. We’ll see how consistent I can be again next season."
  • Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles says that the Clippers are still searching for an identity at this point in the season, mostly because of how their defense has regressed since their 17-game winning streak earlier in the year. 
  • John Reid of NOLA.com talks with Eric Gordon about being the Hornets' go-to-scorer, becoming familiar with his teammates this year after returning from his injury, and where he is in terms of his knee rehab. 
  • Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com takes a look at what has motivated Warriors All-Star David Lee throughout his career, including a fear of failure. 

 

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Southwest Notes: Vasquez, White, Mavs, Dirk

March 2nd, 2013 at 7:59pm CST by Sean Highkin

With the Spurs attempting to mitigate Tony Parker's ankle injury, the Grizzlies and Rockets firmly in the playoff picture, and the Mavericks attempting to stay out of the lottery, the Southwest Division is one of the more fascinating in the league currently. Here is a roundup of the latest updates:

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Western Notes: Rockets, Clippers, Garnett, Mavs

February 26th, 2013 at 12:28pm CST by Luke Adams

Here's the latest from around the Western Conference, where the Lakers are three games back of the Rockets for the eighth seed and three and a half back of the seventh-place Jazz:

  • Although his plan was being openly questioned in NBA circles eight months ago, GM Daryl Morey continues to build the Rockets into a team with strong long-term potential, observes Grantland's Zach Lowe. Within his piece, Lowe writes that Morey and assistant coach Kelvin Sampson were both fixated on acquiring James Harden, and that the team would like to add a defense-first wing to the roster.
  • The Clippers were "closer than people think" to acquiring Kevin Garnett for Eric Bledsoe and DeAndre Jordan last week, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
  • Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News questions whether the Mavericks ought to try to build a team around Dwight Howard, even if the All-Star center is willing to sign in Dallas this summer.
  • Although Dirk Nowitzki indicated recently that he hopes to play for a few more years, his focus for now is more on the short term, as he tells Jeff Caplan of NBA.com. "[Mark Cuban]’s obviously said his bank’s open, so we’ll see what happens this summer," Nowitzki said. "It’s going to be a big summer for us. We want to get back to winning ways. We always competed and were part of the playoffs, so we’ll see what happens this summer. It’s going to be a big summer for this franchise."
  • The Thunder decided to bring back Derek Fisher for the stretch run because they know exactly what they're getting in the veteran point guard, writes Susan Bible of HoopsWorld.
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Western Notes: Warriors, Thunder, Bledsoe, Jazz

February 25th, 2013 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The most intriguing game on tonight's schedule happens out west, where the Lakers are in Denver as they try to get back to .500 for the first time since they were 15-15 at the end of December. While we wait to see if the Nuggets can keep the Lakers below .500, let's check out a few Western Conference links….

  • If a big-name trade candidate becomes available this summer, the Warriors should be in the mix, says Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com, pointing out that Golden State will have young talent, draft picks, and big, expiring contracts to offer.
  • As Derek Fisher prepares to join the Thunder for the rest of the season, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News points out (via Sulia) that even when it became clear Oklahoma City wouldn't be re-signing Fisher last summer, the team had nothing but praise for him.
  • When Thunder GM Sam Presti spoke on Friday about the trade that sent Eric Maynor to the Trail Blazers, he mentioned the trade exception acquired by Oklahoma City in the deal. But the Thunder also acquired the rights to Georgios Printezis, and Wendell Maxey of Ridiculous Upside thinks the club should strongly consider eventually bringing him stateside.
  • By keeping Eric Bledsoe through the deadline, the Clippers are now expected to have a backup plan this summer if Chris Paul unexpectedly decides to sign elsewhere. But assuming Paul re-signs, the team will have to decide what Bledsoe's long-term future holds, writes Jovan Buha of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
  • In a lengthy piece on players and teams who are "on notice" after the trade deadline, Grantland's Zach Lowe explores the Jazz's decision to keep both Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson last week.
  • Following up on Dirk Nowitzki's comments about wanting to play beyond his current contract, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com wonders how much of a bargain Nowitzki would give the Mavericks in his next deal.
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Nowitzki Plans To Play For Several More Years

February 24th, 2013 at 7:11pm CST by Zachary Links

Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki's contract runs out after next season and some have wondered if he may be looking to call it a career in the near future.  The big man told reporters back in November that he would likely stick around through 2016, but a frustrating, injury-filled season in Dallas led him to question his future once again.  However, Nowitzki reiterated his desire to continue his career in Dallas earlier today, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com.

"When my [current] contract's up, I'm 36 and I'll definitely sign a couple more years," Nowitzki said after recording season highs of 30 points and 13 rebounds in today's loss to the Lakers. "It's still fun, but I don't know if I'll play until 40. But when I'm 36, definitely sign one more deal, maybe two or three years."

The 34-year-old laughed when asked if he expected to continue making superstar money on his next deal.  Nowitzki is earning just under $21MM this season and will make nearly $23MM in his walk year.  While his next deal won't be negotiated for some time, it's safe to assume that he'll see a pay cut.

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Dallas Notes: Cuban, Nowitzki, Jennings

February 13th, 2013 at 9:42pm CST by Alex Lee

It is pretty clear by now that the constant stream of Mavericks' rumors will not stop until the team makes good on their plan to utilize their cap room to bring in at least one superstar.  Until then, we will continue to track everything Mavs here:

  • Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com asked Mark Cuban for a comment on the trade rumors swirling around his Mavericks (Twitter link).  "If you read about it, it ain't happening, because we don't talk," the Mavs owner said.  
  • Meanwhile – with regard to the aforementioned quote – fans should be cautious believing Cuban at times like this, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas.  MacMahon references the Mavs' separate acquisitions of Jason Kidd and Caron Butler as instances when the rumors turned out to be true despite Cuban's best attempts to conceal the team's plans.
  • Dirk Nowitzki sat down with Zach Lowe of Grantland on Monday, speaking intelligently about the NBA's collective bargaining agreement and the resulting luxury tax implications (and much more).  Nowitzki says he supported Cuban's decision to break up their title team last year, comparing the departure of Tyson Chandler to that of Steve Nash in 2004. 
  • Answering questions from readers, Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News says the Mavs making a move for Brandon Jennings is a "no-brainer" if they think they can keep him.  While Jennings is a clear upgrade over Darren Collison, all indications out of Dallas are that Cuban and company are saving their money for elite, cornerstone-type players.  While he still is young, I am not sure Jennings fits that criteria. 
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Mavs Interested In Jennings, Not Josh Smith

February 12th, 2013 at 11:40pm CST by Chuck Myron

11:47pm: Following up on his Jennings report, Stein adds that the Mavs aren’t looking at Josh Smith (Twitter link).

11:40pm: The Mavs are interested in point guard Brandon Jennings, and if the Bucks decide to make him available before next week’s trade deadline, Dallas will be one of the teams in the mix, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Mavs owner Mark Cuban, president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson and coach Rick Carlisle have all said in recent days that the team is unlikely to make any deadline deals, but multiple reports suggest that’s not the case. Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio hears the team is seeking offers for Shawn Marion, while Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News, as part of a chat with readers today, wrote that anyone aside from Dirk Nowitzki and Elton Brand is liable to be dealt.

Bucks GM John Hammond wants an overwhelming offer in return if he’s to part with Jennings, Amico hears. Jennings’ recent change of agents, from Bill Duffy to Jeff Schwartz, could suggest he wants to join a large-market team when he hits restricted free agency this summer. The Bucks will have the opportunity to match, and the team has reportedly told Jennings they’ll do so with any offer sheet he signs. Still, Milwaukee declined to extend Jennings’ rookie deal this past fall when he was reportedly asking for an annual salary of about $9MM to $10MM, and he could receive offers for much more on the open market.

In his chat, Sefko named Rodrigue Beaubois, Dominique Jones, Vince Carter and Brandan Wright as the Mavs players most likely to be dealt. I don’t think a package involving any combination of them or Marion would be enough to bowl Hammond over to the point that he’d be ready to deal. Though the Mavs have a wealth of expiring contracts, it will be hard for them to match salaries for Jennings, who’s making just $3.179MM this season in the final year of his rookie deal. They’d probably have to take back one of Milwaukee’s less desirable contracts, like that of Drew Gooden, who’s due more than $20MM between this season and 2015. Since the Mavs have their eyes set on pursuing maximum-salary players like Dwight Howard and Chris Paul, I’m not sure they’d be willing to compromise their flexibility to fit one of them under their cap to bring Jennings aboard.

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Kyler On Gay, Magic, Smith

February 2nd, 2013 at 12:39pm CST by Sean Highkin

Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.com took questions from his followers on his Twitter account on Saturday morning, covering the Raptors' acquisition of Rudy Gay along with other topics.

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Western Notes: Kobe, Ridnour, Odom

January 26th, 2013 at 10:49pm CST by Ryan Raroque
Although Kobe Bryant registered a season low of 10 field goals on Friday night, his 14 assists proved to be instrumental in the Lakers' rout of the Jazz. Mike D'Antoni praised his star shooting guard's approach, saying that the dip in field goal attempts shouldn't be looked at as a sacrifice if the team ultimately comes out on top, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles. McMenamin also takes a closer look at the impending return of Steve Blake, who practiced with the team today and could return to game action next week. You'll find the rest of tonight's Western Conference notes here:
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