Dirk Nowitzki Could Be Out 'Weeks' with Foot Injury

Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki could miss several weeks as he continues to deal with soreness in his left foot.

"He won't do anything on this trip," Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle said in China on Wednesday, per the Dallas Morning News' Eddie Sefko. "I can't give you any kind of a soft timeline. It's weeks, not days, as far as getting on the court for live action.

"He is making gradual progress. We're just not at a point where we can talk about a hard timeline."

The 40-year-old has remained remarkably durable in the twilight of his NBA career. Only once in the previous five seasons has he failed to make at least 75 appearances.

As Nowitzki has aged, both he and the Mavericks have been even more careful about managing his workload. The 2017-18 campaign was a case in point. His 24.7 minutes per game were his lowest since his rookie season, and his 20.5 percent usage rate was a career low, per Basketball Reference.

Nowitzki remains effective in his limited role with Dallas. He shot 45.6 percent from the field and 40.9 percent from three-point range last year.

At this rate, the Mavericks will hope Nowitzki is healthy in time to suit up for their season opener Oct. 17 against the Phoenix Suns.