The Dallas Mavericks have labored through two sub-par seasons by their standards in a row. Franchise player Dirk Nowitzki, has made it clear that for him to re-sign after next season, there would have to be a significant overhaul of the current roster.
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, isn’t used to seeing his team clear out their lockers before the playoffs begin, but that’s a reality they will have to deal with this season, and according to a story courtesy of ESPN, he he has no intention of it being a habitual occurrence.
“I’ve always said there is one winner and 29 other teams tied for last,” Cuban said via email Thursday morning, hours after the Mavs were officially eliminated, ending a 12-year playoff streak. “Our goal is to win championships, so it’s disappointing to not win. But we will come back and get better next year.”
Cuban says that bringing in a top player to compliment Nowitzki, is definitely a priority.
“Trust me, we want to do that,” Cuban said Wednesday evening, referring to giving Nowitzki a legitimate co-star. “If you’ve got the guy who’s going to say, ‘You know what, I’m going to come to the Mavericks no matter what,’ let me know.”
“We’re going to be opportunistic and do the best we can.”
While the Mavericks want to get back to relevancy in the Western Conference, they also want to be in position to compete after Nowitzki hangs up his sneakers.
“We maximized for the first generation of Dirk’s golden years to win a championship,” Cuban said. “So we’ll do our best for his second generation of golden years and then the next generation and the next generation until he runs out of golden years.
“That’s what we’re trying to do. Hypothetically speaking, if Dirk wasn’t hurt and we’re in the hunt for a fifth or sixth seed, you’re asking me different questions: ‘Hey, you guys put together a decent squad, what do you have to do to take it to the next level?’ That’s the way it goes.”