Dirk Nowitzki Rumors: Warriors Reportedly Interested in Star Forward
The Golden State Warriors lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals and failed to cap off their record-breaking campaign with a championship, and now they are reportedly interested in adding a future Hall of Famer who has experience beating LeBron James with a title at stake.
According to Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News, “Warriors management has circled” Dirk Nowitzki as a potential addition in the offseason.
“We will be very aggressive,” a Warriors executive said when discussing the upcoming offseason, per Kawakami. Adding someone with a resume like Nowitzki’s would qualify.
Kawakami clarified that the Warriors' primary target will be Kevin Durant, but Nowitzki serves as a “next-tier discussion.”
Nowitzki appeared on 1310 The Ticket in Dallas in May (via Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com) and announced his decision to opt out of the last year of his contract with the Dallas Mavericks. However, MacMahon reported the forward “has no intention of leaving the team.”
Nowitzki has been with the Mavericks for his entire NBA career, but he is 38 years old and “a little wary of staying in Dallas for a rebuilding process,” per Kawakami.
Joining a Warriors squad that is fresh off two straight appearances in the NBA Finals would give Nowitzki an opportunity to win a second ring and retire on top as one of the best players in his generation.
Kawakami stressed the Warriors' interest in Nowitzki and other potential roster changes would not be a knee-jerk reaction to their Game 7 loss against the Cavaliers on Sunday. Marreese Speights, Leandro Barbosa, Anderson Varejao, Brandon Rush and Ian Clark will be unrestricted free agents in July, while Harrison Barnes and Festus Ezeli will be restricted free agents.
Ezeli and Barnes both looked expendable in the NBA Finals, though they were important pieces during the regular season. Ezeli averaged 2.0 points, 1.9 rebounds and 0.1 blocks per game in the series, while Barnes shot 35.2 percent in the Finals and went an abysmal 5-of-32 over the final three games.
Nowitzki was the 2006-07 NBA MVP and the 2010-11 NBA Finals MVP when Dallas knocked off James’ Miami Heat. Had he been in the lineup instead of one of those two, the Warriors may have won their second consecutive Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Golden State led the league with 114.9 points per game in 2015-16, and Nowitzki would give the team another proven scorer. He is sixth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list behind some impressive company:
| 1 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 38,387 |
| 2 | Karl Malone | 36,928 |
| 3 | Kobe Bryant | 33,643 |
| 4 | Michael Jordan | 32,292 |
| 5 | Wilt Chamberlain | 31,419 |
| 6 | Dirk Nowitzki | 29,491 |
The 7-footer can shoot threes (38.1 percent in his career), take advantage of mismatches down low and hit fadeaway jumpers from the elbow. Even at 37 years old in 2015-16, Nowitzki averaged 18.3 points per game in his 18th season in the league.
The Mavericks legend wouldn’t have to worry about the pressure that comes with being the primary scorer if he plays alongside Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. He could also take advantage of openings when opposing defenses focus the majority of their attention on those three weapons.
Nowitzki’s three-point ability would also fit in perfectly with the sharpshooting Warriors, who led the NBA with a 41.6 percent mark from downtown in 2015-16, and he is versatile enough to play power forward in bigger lineups or fill in at center when Golden State goes small.
The Warriors figure to be among the league’s best teams in 2016-17 after winning a record 73 games during the 2015-16 campaign. Adding Nowitzki would only make them more formidable.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
