Nowitzki still plans to play out contract with Mavs next season

Barring some unforeseen circumstances involving his health, Dirk Nowitzki's goal to play out his two-year contract with the Dallas Mavericks in its entirety remains intact.

"As of now, I'm planning to come back," Nowitzki said to The New York Times' Marc Stein. "I feel great. I've only missed one game all season. I signed a two-year contract because I wanted to play two more years. And here we are."

Nowitzki turns 40 years old in June, and has suited up for the Mavericks every year since entering the league back in 1998. He signed a two-year deal with Dallas last summer that pays him $5 million this season with a team option worth another $5 million in 2018-19.

Once the current campaign concludes, Nowitzki will step away and consult with his wife, Jessica, and his mentor, Holger Geschwindner, to decide on his potential return for 2018-19. He'll also undergo an evaluation of his health, although he's missed just a single game this season, and is averaging 24.8 minutes.

Dallas head coach Rick Carlisle sounded optimistic earlier in the month when asked about Nowitzki's future, saying it "looks very promising" that the 13-time All-Star will be back.

If everything goes according to plan, Nowitzki would become the first player in history to play 21 seasons with the same team. He and Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers) are the only players to reach 20.

Nowitzki is currently averaging 12.2 points and 5.6 rebounds on 46 percent shooting for the 22-51 Mavericks.