Dirk Nowitzki Reportedly Agrees to Re-Sign with Mavericks on 2-Year Contract

Dirk Nowitzki hit the free-agent market but reportedly has decided to return to the Dallas Mavericks, agreeing to a two-year, $40 million contract, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.

Nowitzki's return comes on the heels of a June 21 report from Stein, who reported Nowitzki officially opted out of his contract to enter the market on July 1.

Prior to opting out, Nowitzki spoke at the Mavs Basketball Academy Hoop Camp on June 7, per Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News. Nowitzki said that if he opted out, he might "sign a two- or three-year deal" after meeting with owner Mark Cuban and general manager Donnie Nelson to discuss the future of the franchise.

Nowitzki added that he and the Mavericks "want to take a step forward again. There are some names out there that obviously we'd love to have [in free agency], but we all know how that worked the last few years. Sometimes, there's some luck involved."

Even though Nowitzki can no longer command a massive contract extension, the 38-year-old is coming off another strong season in which he averaged 18.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while leading the team with 6.8 win shares, per Basketball-Reference.com.

The Mavericks have work to do to join the ranks of the Western Conference elite before Nowitzki's career comes to an end.