The Dallas Mavericks may welcome back their former superstar and franchise cornerstone to the organization.
Talking with DLLS Mavs, Dirk Nowitzki, who spent 21 years with the Mavericks, is hinting at a possible return to the franchise, citing his talks with new head of basketball operations Masai Ujiri.
Nowitzki also touched on some disagreements with the former Mavericks front office led by Nico Harrison, who pulled the trigger on trading former superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2025.
“Everybody knows that I pulled back there for a while, there was some things done that I didn’t agree with and I kind of just pulled back from the franchise. But I know Masai for a long time. We’ve already had some discussions on what’s going to transpire in the future and he obviously wants me to be a part of the Mavericks,” Nowitzki said.
Dirk Nowitzki Once Had A Position In The Dallas Mavericks Franchise
Nowitzki served as a special advisor for the Mavericks front office. He was appointed to this role in June 2021 by then-owner Mark Cuban to assist the franchise during a major front-office transition.
Nowitzki assisted in the recruitment and hiring processes for a new general manager, which led to Nico Harrison, and a new head coach, who became Jason Kidd. Both Harrison and Kidd are now out of the Mavericks franchise.
Nowitzki did not specify any position the Mavericks could be offering him, but he said it was all preliminary talks and that he is still busy with other basketball-related work, such as his broadcasting role with Prime Video.
“I think all these things are very early and very soon. Of course, I have my job as an analyst and with FIBA on the board, so I travel a ton. So there’s nothing really imminent here in the near future, but I’m always a Maverick for life,” he said.
The Mavericks underwent a major organizational reset this offseason, hiring Ujiri, new general manager Mike Schmitz, and new head coach Dusty May.
They are banking heavily on the potential of 19-year-old star Cooper Flagg, the 2026 NBA Rookie of the Year.
Kyrie Irving, a former backcourt partner of Doncic, is expected back on the floor next season after missing extended time with an ACL injury.
The Mavericks also traded for forwards Santi Aldama and Zaccharie Risacher, and drafted Morez Johnson Jr. in the lottery alongside other acquisitions like Sergio de Larrea and Tarik Biberović.
Dallas also parted ways with veteran sniper Klay Thompson via buyout, and lost Brandon Williams in free agency.
Dallas Mavericks Legend Wants To Be Around With The Franchise
Dirk Nowitzki reiterated that he wants to be around the franchise more as he looks to guide them into the team’s next chapter.
“I’d love to be around and maybe one day even come around more and more and maybe have some input at some point, but it’s going to be hard for me,” Nowitzki said in the same interview. “I’m going to travel a ton with Amazon every week. We’ll see what the future still holds, but I always wish them well and always follow the team closely.”
The Mavericks are expected to make some noise in the Western Conference with a mix of veterans and young players alongside fresh faces on the sidelines.
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