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The Dallas Mavericks got the answer they were hoping for Saturday night: Dirk Nowitzki has pledged to re-sign with the only team he's ever played for.
Sources close to the situation told ESPN.com that Nowitzki and Mavericks owner Mark Cuban have reached terms on a new four-year contract after a series of wrap-up meetings that consumed much of the day.
The deal, sources said, is worth at least $80 million and includes a no-trade clause, with Nowitzki making good on a longstanding offer to Cuban to take less than the maximum $96.2 million he could have received over the next four seasons in exchange for assurances that the Mavericks will use that financial flexibility to ramp up their efforts to acquire a top-tier sidekick.
Nowitzki can't actually sign before July 8, which is the first day teams and players can execute new contracts, but having the All-Star power forward's verbal commitment should enable Dallas to begin its pursuit of help through sign-and-trade offers in earnest, since Cuban can now assure prospective targets that Nowitzki will be in Dallas through at least 2013-14.
The sides have been negotiating for weeks in the wake of Dallas' first-round playoff ouster, after team officials learned in mid-May that Nowitzki was determined to opt out and become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career as opposed to signing a three-year extension before June 30.
Sources close to the situation told ESPN.com that Nowitzki and Mavericks owner Mark Cuban have reached terms on a new four-year contract after a series of wrap-up meetings that consumed much of the day.
The deal, sources said, is worth at least $80 million and includes a no-trade clause, with Nowitzki making good on a longstanding offer to Cuban to take less than the maximum $96.2 million he could have received over the next four seasons in exchange for assurances that the Mavericks will use that financial flexibility to ramp up their efforts to acquire a top-tier sidekick.
Nowitzki can't actually sign before July 8, which is the first day teams and players can execute new contracts, but having the All-Star power forward's verbal commitment should enable Dallas to begin its pursuit of help through sign-and-trade offers in earnest, since Cuban can now assure prospective targets that Nowitzki will be in Dallas through at least 2013-14.
The sides have been negotiating for weeks in the wake of Dallas' first-round playoff ouster, after team officials learned in mid-May that Nowitzki was determined to opt out and become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career as opposed to signing a three-year extension before June 30.
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