Dirk Nowitzki isn’t looking for one last big pay day. A run at a second championship appeals more to the German superstar in the twilight of his brilliant career.
The 36-year-old Nowitzki, a free agent on July 1, seemed to take a jab at Kobe Bryant, who signed a two-year, $48 million extension last summer, a debilitating deal for the Lakers.
“We want to get better as a team,” he told the Dallas Morning News. “And I’m pretty sure I’m not going to sign Kobe’s deal – unfortunately. We’ll find a good way where I feel respected for what I did and we still have enough money left for us to get great players in here. [Owner Mark Cuban] has been great to me and been loyal to me for a long, long time. I’m sure we’re going to find a great solution for everybody.”
That almost certainly means Nowitzki taking a pay cut from the $22.7 million he made this season.