The Dallas Mavericks are performing poorly this season. At the moment, the Mavericks are last in the Western Conference with their 8-21 record. Despite the hardships, Dirk Nowitzki has no plans of abandoning the only franchise he suited up for in his illustrious NBA career.
In a recent report by the Dallas Morning News, Dirk sounded like a man looking forward to another year. "I’m not going to say 100 percent I’ll be back -- but it’s looking like it," Nowitzki stated. The Dallas Mavericks superstar added that at 39 years old, he intends to play each game this season.
In 29 outings (all starts) so far, Dirk is averaging 11.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists each night for Dallas. His offensive production has diminished in the past few years, but it is still good enough for him to be among the leading scorers for the Mavs.
The present contract of Nowitzki is one of the reasons why he got linked to a potential retirement. In July, he signed a two-year, $10 million deal with the Mavericks. However, the second year of the pact has a team option.
Farewell Noel?
Another player that might have an impact on the future of the Dallas Mavericks is Nerlens Noel. In February of 2017, Dallas completed a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers for Noel. The Mavericks hoped that he would be the answer to their dilemma at center.
In Noel's first season in Dallas, he saw action in only 22 games (12 starts). Despite this, the 23-year-old was impressive. It appeared that he was poised to have a great run with the Mavericks.
Surprisingly, that is not what is happening right now. Instead of being a rising star for Dallas, Noel has become a benchwarmer. The last time he played for the Mavericks was in a 95-94 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on November 22.
Indeed Noel is recovering from a thumb surgery, but that is unlikely the main reason why he got eliminated from the rotation of head coach Rick Carlisle. According to reports, Noel is no longer getting playing time due to his poor work ethic.
With the relationship between both sides falling apart, it might be time for the Mavericks to accomplish a trade.
A Nerlens Noel trade seems difficult at this point with everything that happened. But there will be organizations interested in him, considering that he is still a promising prospect in the league.
Up next
Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks will try to return on the winning track on December 16 when they visit the San Antonio Spurs at the AT&T Center. Similar to the Mavs, the Spurs are coming off a defeat heading into the contest.
