Dirk Nowitzki Talks Trade, Questions Mark Cuban and Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks are having an off year, which has frustrated star power forward Dirk Nowitzki. 

According to ESPN Dallas’ Tim MacMahon, Nowitzki was not too fond of owner Mark Cuban’s plan of building a franchise around the off chance of signing a superstar in free agency. 

The Mavs are now paying the price for not landing Deron Williams, Dwight Howard or Chris Paul this past summer. They went just 13-21 through the first week of January. 

Even though Nowitzki was out with an injury until late December, the team has continued to struggle upon his return. Since his Dec. 23 debut against the San Antonio Spurs, Dallas is just 1-7.

Apparently, Nowitzki has entertained the idea of being traded as one of the ways to help the franchise improve (via ESPN):

"

We knew that coming in, that eight or nine new guys on one-year deals is not really an ideal situation, but what else is there to do? So either you break the whole thing up and trade me, or you get a bunch of one-year deals and try to be a player next summer. That's the decision we made, so now we've got to fight through it.

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The team's early-season playoff hopes are fading fast, and Dirk makes it sound like he is already looking forward to the summer.

He’s hopeful that Cuban can use the upcoming offseason to shake things up and turn this once-proud franchise into a contender again.

"

Maybe Cuban has something up his sleeve. Maybe you have to take a chance on a bad contract to get him in here and make something happen. I mean, I don't know. That's something we'll have to see this summer.

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Nowitzki has maintained that he would like to play out the remainder of his career with Dallas, the team he won a championship with in 2011. However, he’s acknowledged that playing for a competitive squad is his top priority.

With the Mavs in the midst of a slump in which they have lost eight of nine and 11 of 13 games, they are anything but a lock for the postseason right now.

Dallas' streak of 12 seasons with a playoff appearance is in serious jeopardy, and the 34-year-old star knows his window will not be open long enough to endure several lottery-bound campaigns.