Fresh off a playoff defeat at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs, the Dallas Mavericks head into the offseason with a cloud of uncertainty hanging in the air.
Team president Donnie Nelson said owner Mark Cuban spoke to his team following the loss, and "made it public in the locker room last night that he would like to have every one of those guys back, but there's negotiation"
Several key pieces of this year's squad are slated to enter free-agency, including small forward Shawn Marion, shooting guard Vince Carter, point guard Devin Harris and most notably, power forward Dirk Nowitzki.
The Mavericks, as it currently stands, will have approximately $30 million in cap room this offseason. However, committing a large chunk of their space towards retaining their aging core will likely cap the team's ability to improve into a legitimate championship contender.
Dirk is a free-agent by title only, as he has a verbal agreement with Mavericks management to re-sign this offseason. He is expected to sign for a figure near $10 million per year, and joked that he's "not going to sign Kobe's deal. Unfortunately [laughs]."
Nowitzki also added:
"We'll find a good way where I feel respected for what I did and where we still have enough money left for us to get great players in here. Cubes has been great to me, has been loyal to me for a long, long time. I'm sure we're going to find a great solution for everybody."
Similarly, Vince Carter also looks like a safe bet to stay. Dwain Price of the Fort-Worth Star Telegram reported that Carter spoke to team president Donnie Nelson, and expects to return. Although the former superstar is nearing his fourties, Carter was still a productive player in 2013-14, posting 11.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game and a player efficiency rating of 15.9.
However, the prospects of a return from Shawn Marion and Devin Harris looks to be less likely.
At age 36, Marion admitted that his priority is to capture a second championship ring, and he will "weigh his options." The versatile small forward served as Dallas' defensive stopper over the past few seasons, posting per-game averages of 10.4 points and 6.5 rebounds. Marion also added that he is interested in playing two more seasons before retirement. His talents would prove valuable to just about every championship contender.
Harris, at age 31, is looking for a raise, as he took the veteran minimum in his second go-around with the Mavericks. He averaged 7.9 points and 4.5 assists per game.
