David Lee, Dirk Nowitzki Talk Future
- Dirk Nowitzki reiterated that the idea of playing 20 seasons in the NBA appeals to him in an appearance Sunday on ESPN Radio’s “NBA Insiders” show, echoing comments he made in December, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com relays. The 37-year-old who’s in his 18th season in the league addressed his future as it relates to the Mavericks last week.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 3/25/16
Dirk Nowitzki declined to say anything definitive when asked recently whether he would leave the Mavericks if they went into rebuilding mode. The 37-year-old who has a player option worth only about $8.7MM for next season fielded the query on the “Ben and Skin Show” on KRLD-FM. “You know, that’s something I’ll focus on from summer to summer,” Nowitzki said. “I’m in the midst of chasing the playoffs here and trying to play well and compete every night. That’s something we’ll revisit this summer. Obviously I still have a year on the contract. I could choose to opt out. I think that’s in my contract. Honestly, I haven’t really spent a lot of thought on that at all. Like I said, I want to really make the playoffs bad. I think our fan base deserves that. It’s always a fun part of the year. The competition is high. We’d love to be a part of that. Everything else we can, you know, come together and talk about after. There’s just not enough thought put into it right now. Hopefully we can squeeze in the playoffs and then we can talk about all that stuff later.”
The veteran big man later clarified his comments, saying that he intends to opt in with Dallas for the 2016/17 campaign and adding that he’s envisioned playing the rest of his career with the Mavs ever since they won the 2011 title. But Nowitzki also reiterated that he doesn’t want to be part of a rebuilding effort. “If I’m not mistaken, the question was, if we’re going through a rebuilding phase, is what they asked me yesterday, and obviously I want to compete,” Nowitzki said. “I want to compete at the highest level. I always want to make the playoffs, and even more. So, if that’s what the Mavs are going to do is rebuild, then, you know, well, we’ll just have to wait and see.”
The idea that Nowitzki sees rebuilding as distasteful ostensibly leaves the door open for him to leave Dallas at some point, but his willingness to make financial sacrifices means the Mavs have an easier financial path to surrounding him with top-flight talent, making it less likely they rebuild, as Hoops Rumors’ Chuck Myron noted earlier today. The power forward has been the textbook definition of a loyal player, accepting a salary well below his market value to remain with the Mavs and to allow the team to sign other players. It would be almost impossible to fault him if he decided he wanted one last shot at an NBA title with another franchise. While it’s certainly difficult to picture Nowitzki in a different uniform, there have been numerous other players throughout the years who have signed on with other clubs in order to chase a ring in the twilight of their careers.
This brings me to the topic for today: Should Dirk Nowitzki opt out of his deal this summer and sign on with a team that has a better shot at winning a title than the Mavericks do?
If you believe that Nowitzki should indeed leave Dallas, where would be the best landing spot for him in 2016/17? Would you support him in such a move, or would he be vilified in your eyes for abandoning the Mavericks? Take to the comments section to share your thoughts and opinions on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say.
Dirk Nowitzki Plans To Opt In With Mavs
2:13pm: MacMahon posted a YouTube video of Nowitzki’s comments today to reporters, and it includes a direct explanation of the comments he made Thursday on the “Ben and Skin Show” on KRLD-FM.
“If I’m not mistaken, the question was, if we’re going through a rebuilding phase, is what they asked me yesterday, and obviously I want to compete,” Nowitzki said. “I want to compete at the highest level. I always want to make the playoffs, and even more. So, if that’s what the Mavs are going to do is rebuild, then, you know, well, we’ll just have to wait and see.”
1:27pm: Dirk Nowitzki plans to pick up his nearly $8.7MM player option for next season to return to the Mavericks, as he said to reporters, including Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com (Twitter link). Nowitzki added that he’s envisioned playing the rest of his career with the Mavs ever since they won the 2011 title, but he doesn’t want to be part of a rebuilding effort, MacMahon tweets. The former MVP deflected a question in a recent radio interview about whether he’d leave the Mavs if they went into rebuilding, not making a definitive statement one way or another. However, it appears that he’ll be in a Dallas uniform through at least next season, the last on a discounted three-year contract he signed in 2014.
“I always said I wanted to play those three years to the end,” Nowitzki said.
Nowitzki told USA Today’s Sam Amick in November that he planned to “ride this contract out,” presumably a signal that he would opt in. He said in the same interview that he’s not sure whether he’ll retire after next season, but he hinted at sticking around longer when he spoke to MacMahon in a subsequent chat, saying he values the idea of playing 20 years with the Mavericks. This season is Nowitzki’s 18th in the NBA, all of them with Dallas.
Mavs coach Rick Carlisle recently spoke about Nowitzki’s loyalty to the organization, which became abundantly clear when he signed his existing contract, worth only $25MM total over three seasons, when he could have held out for significantly more. The idea that Nowitzki sees rebuilding as anathema ostensibly leaves the door open for him to leave Dallas at some point, but his willingness to make financial sacrifices means the Mavs have an easier financial path to surrounding him with top-flight talent, making it less likely they rebuild. Dallas would have as little as about $37.7MM on the books for next season against a salary cap of between $90MM and $95MM if Nowitzki opts in, though that doesn’t count any salary for Chandler Parsons, who’s expected to opt out, or Deron Williams, who has a player option worth roughly $5.6MM.
Nowitzki remains highly productive, leading the team with 18.8 points per game. His 38.6% 3-point percentage is right in line with his career 38.3% rate of accuracy.
Chandler Parsons Has Season-Ending Surgery
1:02pm: The team confirmed the surgery via press release, adding that Parsons will indeed miss the rest of the season.
10:54am: Chandler Parsons had season-ending surgery this morning to remedy the torn meniscus in his right knee, sources tell Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com (ESPN Now link). MacMahon reported earlier this week that the soon-to-be free agent was likely to have the operation but planned to get a second opinion. Schuyler Dixon of The Associated Press indicated that it was conceivable that Parsons would return for the playoffs even if he did undergo the procedure, but that’s apparently out of the question at this point. Parsons is still expected to opt out of his contract this summer, and the Mavericks are still the front-runners to sign him, MacMahon wrote this week.
The surgery is on the same knee that ended Parsons’ season prematurely last year, though the injury isn’t as serious this time around, and Parsons will be able to take part in his normal offseason training regimen, according to MacMahon. The 27-year-old is poised to hit free agency as a hot commodity, with the Magic his primary option should he choose to leave Dallas, as MacMahon reported earlier this month. MacMahon also heard from sources who expected the Heat, Lakers, Nets, Knicks, Trail Blazers, Rockets, Nuggets and perhaps Thunder to also be in pursuit, though an executive from one team told Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com that he wouldn’t sign Parsons because of concerns about the knee.
The immediate worry in Dallas is about the Mavs’ hopes of a playoff berth, with the loss of Parsons a serious blow. The Mavs, Trail Blazers, Jazz and Rockets are separated by just one game in the loss column with only three playoff spots in play for the four teams. Portland and Dallas have 36 losses while Utah and Houston have 37. The regular season ends April 13th.
Reserve Jeremy Evans is also lost for the rest of the season, but Dallas doesn’t have enough injuries to warrant a 16th roster spot via hardship. That leaves the Mavs without much roster flexibility, as the deadline for a disabled player exception passed more than two months ago, and the team already has 15 players signed through at least the end of the season.
Dirk Nowitzki Deflects Question About Leaving Mavs
Dirk Nowitzki wouldn’t say anything definitive when asked recently whether he would leave the Mavericks if they went into rebuilding mode. The 37-year-old who has a player option worth only about $8.7MM for next season fielded the query on the “Ben and Skin Show” on KRLD-FM, as the Dallas Morning News transcribes.
- Rick Carlisle isn’t at all worried about Nowitzki’s future with the Mavericks, as the coach said earlier this week, according to Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News. “He’s playing for this franchise,” Carlisle said. “It’s pretty clear. His loyalty to [owner] Mark [Cuban] and the Mavericks has been undying. Very atypical for a player of his magnitude and his greatness. There’s probably three or four guys on our team that would not be here had he not made certain financial sacrifices. It’s pretty amazing, what he’s done and what he’s given up, so that we can compete.”
Matthews Talks Blazers; Parsons Could Be Back
- It’s conceivable that Chandler Parsons will play again this season for the Mavericks even if he does undergo surgery on a torn meniscus in his right knee, reports Schuyler Dixon of The Associated Press. Parsons is reportedly getting a second opinion before having the procedure, but he’d be able to resume basketball activities within six weeks of having the operation, Dixon hears, meaning it’s conceivable he returns during the playoffs, which begin April 16th. It’s no certainty the Mavs qualify for the postseason, however. They’re one game up on the Jazz for the last playoff spot in the West.
League Execs May Be Wary of Parsons' Knee Woes
- Mavericks small forward Chandler Parsons is reportedly set to undergo surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee, a procedure that would end his season. The 27-year-old is still expected to opt out and hit free agency this summer, but his history of knee woes may give a number of potential suitors pause. A league executive was asked recently if he would consider inking Parsons this offseason, to which he responded “nope” and pointed at his knee to indicate his reasoning, Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com tweets.
Chandler Parsons Likely Out For Season
Chandler Parsons will likely have season-ending surgery this week on a torn meniscus in his right knee, sources told Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. He’ll receive a second opinion before undergoing the procedure, but even if he does go under the knife, he’s expected to be healthy enough to engage in his normal offseason workout regimen, according to MacMahon. Parsons is still expected to opt out and hit free agency this summer, with the Mavericks the favorites to re-sign him, MacMahon writes.
This would be the second year in a row that Parsons’ season ends prematurely because of his right knee, though the injury this time isn’t as severe as the one that required microfracture surgery last spring, MacMahon hears. Parsons, 27, left Friday’s game early with what the Mavs called a sore right hamstring. He sat out Sunday’s game, and an MRI revealed Monday that the torn meniscus was causing the hamstring pain, sources told MacMahon.
The loss of Parsons for the stretch run is a crushing blow to the Mavericks, who are just one game up on the Jazz for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The versatile forward was averaging 17.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game with 44.7% 3-point shooting in 14 games since the All-Star break, in the midst of what MacMahon calls the best stretch of his career. It’s much too late for Dallas to reap a disabled player exception, and even with Jeremy Evans also done for the season, the Mavs don’t have enough injuries to qualify for a hardship provision.
The Magic have been primed for an aggressive run at Parsons in free agency this summer, and they loom as his top non-Dallas choice, as MacMahon previously reported. Sources who spoke with the ESPN scribe expected the Heat, Lakers, Nets, Knicks, Trail Blazers, Rockets, Nuggets and perhaps Thunder to also give chase, though it’s unclear how the injury affects their interest or the way Orlando views him. However, the Mavs are expected to be just as determined to re-sign him despite the renewed knee trouble, MacMahon tweets, reiterating in his story that Parsons is expected to receive max offers.
Do you think Parsons has done enough to warrant a max deal? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.
Matthews' Return Impressed Ex-Coach
- Portland coach Terry Stotts wasn’t surprised that former Blazer Wesley Matthews was ready for opening night after suffering an Achilles rupture last spring, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. The shooting guard, who signed with the Mavericks over the summer, returned from the injury months sooner that most players do. “Because of that injury, it’s a surprise,” Stotts said. “Because it’s Wes, no. He said that he was going to be back for the opening game and he was. In my time with Wes, there’s one thing I learned: Not to count him out.”
Mavs Need More From Parsons; Noah A Free Agent Option At The Right Price
- If Chandler Parsons stays with the Mavericks past this season, Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News believes the team should demand an improvement from him on the defensive end. Sefko acknowledges that Parsons is capable of being a top scorer, but the scribe mentions the 27-year-old’s positioning on the defensive end as an area of concern.
- Joakim Noah could be an option for the Mavericks in free agency, but the team should only add him at the right price, Sefko opines in the same piece. Sefko worries about all the minutes Noah played under former coach Tom Thibodeau and would like to see the team attempt to bring aboard Al Horford instead.