Everyone in Dallas was on the edge of their seat. The greatest Maverick in franchise history was on the free market, possibly courting offers. A few insiders knew he'd be back, and they were right. Dirk Nowitzki agreed to come back for a four year, $80 million contract with Dallas.
The move left some people confused, though. He could have gotten $96.2 million. Why did he take less money?
The answer is the team. Dirk loves the Mavericks. He loves Cuban. He loves Dallas. He figures that taking less salary gives the Mavs more room to sign a top-tier free agent.
Dallas already has a strong core of players. When a team wins 50 games for 10 straight years, you know they are missing very few pieces. However, those few absent pieces have hindered the Mavericks' title hopes.
Dirk's agreement contributes a significant amount of cohesion. That he would take such a substantial salary hit means Nowitzki never wanted to leave. The organization (players, management, etc.) can see such an action as, for lack of a better term, loving. His dedication can inspire others and bring them together.
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Mike Kass
NBA Free Agency: Where Do Dallas Mavericks Go Now That Dirk Nowitzki is Back?
July 4th, 2010 by Mike Kass Leave a reply »
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