Report: Mavericks, Nowitzki plan to finalize 1-year, $5M contract

Dirk Nowitzki's marriage with the Dallas Mavericks will continue for at least another season, as the team and its franchise icon plan to finalize a one-year, $5-million contract for 2018-19, league sources told Yahoo Sports' Shams Charania.

There was never much doubt about a return to Dallas, as Nowitzki is the Mavericks' franchise leader in games played (1,471), minutes (50,573), points (31,187), rebounds (11,331), made threes (1,918), and blocks (1,263), among a litany of other team records.

Meanwhile, he continued to age gracefully in Year 20, averaging 12 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in just under 25 minutes a night, missing just five games in total. Most impressively, the German sharpshooter hit 40.9 percent of his 4.4 attempts from beyond the 3-point arc per game - both top-five marks for Nowitzki's Hall of Fame career.

Having turned 40 in June, Nowitzki is set to play his 21st season in the NBA. That feat will pull him even for the all-time record, which is currently held by the trio of Kevin Garnett, Robert Parish, and Kevin Willis. Unsigned free-agent wing Vince Carter, a 1998 draftee alongside Nowitzki, can also join that select group if he suits up for the 2018-19 campaign.