Dirk Nowitzki won't retire before contract expires in 2017
Consider the 2016-17 player option Dirk Nowitzki holds with the Dallas Mavericks exercised.
While Nowitzki may ultimately decline the option - there are scenarios in which it could benefit him or the team - he isn't planning on retiring before the three-year deal he signed last summer is up. He signed the contract with the intention of playing three seasons, and even though 2014-15 was occasionally challenging for him and the Mavericks, any thoughts of retiring have been fleeting.
As Nowitzki told The Dallas Morning News:
I definitely want to fulfill my contract. I signed on for three years last summer and I'm not going to retire after the first year. If I commit to something, I commit to it fully. I've got two more years and hopefully make it count, make it good ones.
...
Some nights, it's just not fun. Especially in an 82-game season, there's just some nights where you just feel slow and things hurt a little bit. Still, I love to compete. I love the process of getting to the gym and working out and trying to get better.
Nowitzki said he'll spend his summer the way he normally does, working out before a month-long visit with his shooting coach. He has goals to accomplish over the next two seasons, and while the Mavericks' status as contenders depends a great deal on how free agency plays out, he can continue to defy aging and contribute to the Mavericks at a serious discount.
At age 36, Nowitzki averaged 17.3 points and 5.9 rebounds this season, shooting 45.9 percent from the floor and 38 percent from long range. Those numbers don't necessarily match up with his career rates, but they're remarkable for someone in their 17th NBA season.
After passing Moses Malone for seventh in all-time NBA scoring this season, Nowitzki said he'll take aim at Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's career scoring record, even if he has to play until he's 60. Head coach Rick Carlisle laid out a more realistic goal, suggesting Nowitzki could land fifth all-time before his deal runs out.
| Player | Retired | Points | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 1989 | 38387 | 24.6 |
| Karl Malone | 2004 | 36928 | 25 |
| Kobe Bryant | Active | 32482 | 25.4 |
| Michael Jordan | 2003 | 32292 | 30.1 |
| Wilt Chamberlain | 1973 | 31419 | 30.1 |
| Shaquille O'Neal | 2011 | 28596 | 23.7 |
| Dirk Nowitzki | Active | 28119 | 22.2 |
| Moses Malone | 1995 | 27409 | 20.6 |
| Elvin Hayes | 1984 | 27313 | 21 |
| Hakeem Olajuwon | 2002 | 26946 | 21.8 |
Standing 3,300 points shy of fifth, Nowitzki will have to score at a faster rate than he did this year, needing 20.1 points per game if he plays a full 164-game schedule the next two seasons. It's a serious long shot, but its non-zero probability speaks to the incredible career the big German has enjoyed.