Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki: Will come back for 20th season

Nowitzki is expected back with the Mavericks for the 2017-18 season, Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com reports.

Analysis:

Nowitzki has squashed retirement talks immediately after the regular season, agreeing to come back to the Mavericks, who hold a $25 million team option for the 38-year-old veteran. They'll be expected to exercise the option, which means Nowitzki is set to take part in his 20th NBA season. Nowitzki continues to see his numbers fall as he gets further and further into his career, with the 2016-17 season marking his lowest scoring average at 14.2 points per game since his rookie season with the Mavericks. That said, he'll still join Harrison Barnes in opening next season as arguably the team's two most important players, although another slight dip in production wouldn't be surprising.