Dirk Nowitzki
Age: 38
Height: 7 feet
Career stats: 35.3 mpg, 22 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 2.5 apg, 0.8 spg, 0.9 bpg; 47.4/38.1/87.9 shooting splits
2015-16 stats: 31.5 mpg, 18.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.8 apg, 0.7 spg, 0.7 bpg; 44.8/36.8/89.3 shooting splits
Strengths:
- Veteran leadership, plenty of playoff and championship experience
- Still an outstanding shooter who can stretch the floor at power forward or center
- Automatic from the charity stripe
Weaknesses:
- Entering 19th NBA season, only has one or two contributing years left
- Despite size, not much of an interior presence on defense
Why he makes sense for the Warriors:
One of the earliest bits of free agency buzz surrounding the Warriors after losing to Cleveland in the NBA Finals was that Golden State’s front office will be giving Dirk a call once the free agent period begins. He plans to opt out of his current deal, leaving him open to talk with teams around the league. He would fit in nicely alongside Draymond Green in a taller version of the Dubs’ well-known “Death Lineup,” as a 7-footer who can run the floor and shoot the deep ball as well as anyone his size. If Dirk is seeking one more shot at a ring and a one or two-year deal with a contender, the Warriors would surely love to have his skills and experience on their squad.
Why he doesn’t make sense for the Warriors:
Opting out of his deal is not necessarily surprising or telling in any way, as Dirk could just as easily choose to re-up with Dallas for one final contract to finish out his career. It is hard to fathom Nowitzki in any other town except Dallas, and he has said repeatedly that he will stick with Mark Cuban and the Mavericks so long as they remain competitive in the playoff hunt each year. Even if he were willing to leave, the Warriors might have a slight quandary in terms of what role Dirk would have on the team. Would he start in place of Andrew Bogut or come off the bench full-time for the first time in his career? Either way, Steve Kerr wouldn’t reasonably be able to find more than 25 minutes per night for the big German, which could also be problematic for the future Hall of Famer.