If Dirk Nowitzki were ever going to leave the Dallas Mavericks, the only franchise he's played for in his 18-year NBA career, which team would he go to?
While SportsDay's Tim Cowlishaw has one troubling theory, CBS Sports writer Matt Moore recently came up with five of his most likely destinations for where the Mavs' franchise icon could end up.
Moore thinks that the Golden State Warriors would be the top team that Nowitzki would end up going to if he left Dallas. The New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics rounded out Moore's top five.
Here's what Moore said about Dirk possibly joining the Warriors:
"A fun, progressive team with great shooters and a welcoming environment, Nowitzki would instantly put the 73-win team coming off the biggest failure in NBA Finals history back into top status (if they're not already there)," Moore said. "Operating with Steph Curry in the pick and pop would open up options for Nowitzki for days. He'd have to deal with a higher defensive and rebounding workload -- things which do not fit him well. It's also probable that he winds up coming off the bench, a weird situation for a future Hall of Famer who still plays at an All-Star level. Honestly, this doesn't make much sense for either side, but it would certainly generate a ton of buzz, making it the most popular landing spot."
Click here to see Moore's reasons for the other four teams.
SportsDay's Eddie Sefko recently wrote that Nowitzki would only leave Dallas if the Mavericks were to go into a full rebuild. Here's what Sefko wrote:
By giving up a little over $8 million for 2016-17, it really doesn't mean anything in regard to Nowitzki's future. He already has said several times he was planning to opt out and become a free agent. He intends to sign a multiyear deal with the Mavericks after the free-agent moratorium period ends on July 6.
The only way he wouldn't do that, he said, is if the Mavericks head into a total rebuilding project. Management has made it clear that is not the direction they want to take.
Tim Cowlishaw also wrote that the Spurs could be a landing point for Nowitzki if he left Dallas and didn't choose Golden State.
It would mostly depend on Tim Duncan officially retiring, although his lack of playing time at big moments in the playoffs already tells us coach Gregg Popovich is looking for something else. Nowitzki fits the Spurs the same way he does the Warriors, adding remarkable scoring punch to a team that's still contending for a ring with its new nucleus of Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge.
In Dirk's mind, the Spurs could offer something the Warriors could not. That's time with his family in Dallas on off days. Now I don't think it could work quite like Nolan Ryan heading back to his ranch when not pitching for the Rangers 25 years ago, but there's probably enough creativity to be considered here that it becomes a scary proposition for Mavs fans.
Do I think Dirk will jump to accept this opportunity? No. Family and the ties he has developed with the city of Dallas and the Mavericks organization mean too much to him. At least that's how it seems, but one never knows about these things.