Breaking News: Dirk Nowitzki Opts-Out of Final Contract Year With Dallas Mavericks

Dirk Nowitzki is now a free agent. 

The rebuilding process for the Dallas Mavericks 2016-17 NBA season will start with Dirk Nowitzki not officially on the roster.

by Rodney Fisher

In an interview with Dallas radio station 1310 AM/ 96.7 FM The Ticket, Dirk said the following:

"We're going to sit with Mark and Donnie obviously over the next few weeks and figure out how to improve this franchise again. Ever since after the championship, we've been basically a first-round exit. We've been a seven, eight seed. We've only won a few playoff games, and obviously the goal was to compete at the highest level in my last couple of years, so there is some moving to do, some thinking, some putting our heads together the next few weeks heading into free agency, heading into the draft. So this is just one move that hopefully starts a chain reaction for us to get better again, to compete really at a high level. We'll see how it goes."

Dirk took a giant pay cut two years ago to allow the franchise to be a big player in free agency, but they have not been able to secure a marquee player. Many fans have always just assumed that he would always be a Dallas Maverick based on his own words. He also been adamant that he wants to be as competitive as possible in his last two years of his career.

This news comes on the heels of Deron Williams electing to opt-out of his player option year for next season with the Mavs also.