DALLAS – Future Hall of Fame power forward Dirk Nowitzki is officially a Maverick for the 2018-19 season, setting an NBA record for the most seasons played for one franchise.
Dirk becomes the only player in league history to play for one team for 21 seasons, moving out of a tie with Kobe Bryant, who spent 20 years in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform.
The Mavericks didn’t publicize the details of Dirk’s contract, but its been widely reported by NBA writers as a one-year deal worth $5 million. It’s the same salary he would’ve earned in the second year of a two-year contract signed before last season. The Mavericks, though, declined the team option as a formality to open up salary cap space for the DeAndre Jordan signing.
Nowitzki, who averaged 12 points and nearly six assists in just under 25 minutes per game last year, doesn’t command big money at 40 years old – but it’s not the first time the German will play on a cheap contract.
He famously took a massive, $15 million pay cut in 2014 so the Mavericks could afford a max contract for Chandler Parsons, who was at the time regarded as one of the game’s stars.
In somewhat of a make-up move, the Tall Baller From the G landed a one-year, $25 million deal in 2016 despite being past his max-money prime. He then played last season on a $5 million salary.
Business Insider estimates Nowitzki has sacrificed as much as $194 million in discount contracts with the Mavericks in his career.
Nowitzki, a 13-time All-Star and the most decorated Maverick of all time, has averages of 21.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 34.4 minutes in 1,471 games and holds franchise records in most major offensive categories.