Over the past season, the former NBA MVP and champion Dirk Nowitzki moved up on the all-time scoring list but seemed to be overshadowed by other stars' contributions. The Dallas Mavericks announced recently that they plan to decline Nowitzki's $25 million team option. Before Dirk Nowitzki and Dallas fans panic too much, it appears that there is a bright side to Dallas' latest move. Here's what to expect in the coming season from Dirk and the Mavs.

Mavs' plans for Dirk

Despite declining Nowitzki's team option, the team seems like they fully intend to re-sign their star player.

ESPN reported that the team's deadline is next Thursday to notify the league about what they'll do with the second half of a $50-million, two-season contract Dirk signed last July. There doesn't appear to be any reports that the team wants to part ways with Nowitzki in favor of rebuilding their team just yet.

This past season, Dirk Nowitzki achieved the feat of moving into sixth place on the NBA's All-Time scoring list and became just the sixth player in the history of the league to score 30,000 points. He currently has a total of 30,260 points which has him over 2,000 ahead of fellow league star, LeBron James. Dirk also has the distinction of being on the winning side when his Mavs met LeBron's "Big Three" Heat in their first crack at the NBA Finals.

Mavs' roster now

Dirk was once the leader of Dallas' lineup and still has that title in the locker room, but he is on the downward side of his superstar career. Among his teammates right now are former Sixers big man Nerlens Noel, former Warriors NBA Champion Harrison Barnes, and young point guard Yogi Ferrell. The Mavs just picked up Ferrell's contract option which indicates that he's part of the foreseeable future of this team as well.

Barnes became the team's leading scorer as he transitioned into his newest team's system.

With Mark Cuban at the helm, it wouldn't be surprising if Dallas dabbles a bit in the upcoming free agency market. There will be plenty of All-Star-caliber players looking to test out free agency, and Cuban has never been shy about trying to bring more stars to his roster.

Heading into the 2017-18 NBA season, Dirk Nowitzki will be 40-years-old and has been in the league since 1998. One has to think his years with the Mavericks are probably limited, but the team is likely to keep him as a part of their roster so he can retire with the team he carried to success. Nowitzki has indicated that he wants to approach the remainder of his NBA career on a "season by season" basis even though it's being reported that Dallas may try to sign him to another two-year deal.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED