ESPN.com is reporting that Dirk Nowitzki has decided to opt out of the final season of his contract with the Dallas Mavericks but has no intention of leaving the team.
Nowitzki, who has previously stated on several occasions that he planned to play out his three-year, $25 million deal, announced his decision during an appearance Monday on 1310 The Ticket in Dallas.
“We had one more year on the contract, but I think this is the right thing to do,” he said. “We’re going to sit with [owner] Mark [Cuban] and [General Manager] Donnie [Nelson] obviously over the next few weeks and figure out how to improve this franchise again.”
Nowitzki, 37, would have made $8.7 million next season if he opted to complete his three-year contract. He could take a lower salary to give the Mavs more flexibility this summer.
Nowitzki, the sixth-leading scorer in NBA history, has said that it would be special for him to join Kobe Bryant as the only players to have a 20-year career with only one franchise. That would require Nowitzki to play two more seasons with the Mavericks.
Nowitzki reiterated Monday that he is committed to remaining with the Mavs for the rest of his career, saying that decision was essentially made when Dallas won the championship in 2011.
Information from Espn.com contributed to this report.