Dirk Nowitzki will wait till the summer to talk contract extension
By Mike Dyce
Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant signed a two-year extension for $48.5 million. That had some folks in Dallas wondering about Mavericks superstar Dirk Nowitzki and his contract status. He is an unrestricted free agent this summer.
“I don’t really want to look forward too much,” Nowitzki said. “I’m not going to extend obviously. I’m going to play the season out and we can talk about it this summer. I want to have a good season, an injury free season and then Holger [Geschwindner]’s going to take his leather coat and go in the bunker suite and we’ll go from there.”
“But for me, I want to go back to the playoffs with this team and we have a real shot at it,” he said. “That’s really what I’m focusing on. I’m not really worried about any extensions. Obviously, it’s good for Kobe. That’s a lot of money for a guy that’s 36 years old. But if one guy has earned it, it’s Kobe.”
Dirk is expecting a pay cut as he reaches the downward curve of his career. The Mavs are expecting a lot of cap space this summer and a chance to be aggressive in free agency.
“My contract is coming off, Trix (Shawn Marion) is coming off, Vince (Carter),” Nowitzki said. “Obviously, there’s a lot of money under the cap and we can make this team better. But I’m more worried about this season.”