More NBA free agency rumors have emerged and since they did not win the title, the Golden State Warriors are harshly judged as failures.
That's the stiff reality that a team that has won an unprecedented 73 wins has to face. Anything less than a championship is considered a failure for them.
Now, they need to make another run to redeem themselves, and somehow, make themselves better, and they could do that by taking veterans who have their eye on the prize. One such player is Dirk Nowitzki.
After losing in the Finals, Warriors owner Joe Lacob was quoted that they will be "very aggressive" in the offseason. That will mean they will find ways to improve the team, as opposed to just bringing back the entire crew (if they won a title). According to Tim Kawakami of San Jose Mercury News, one target has been identified.
"They will have some money to spend, can create more space if they need to, and can offer a nice situation for a veteran aiming for one last title (and to be credited for returning the Warriors to the mountaintop)," Kawakami explained. "And Nowitzki-who won a title with Dallas in 2011 but hasn't won a playoff series since-is somebody Warriors management has circled."
The German legend has shown that he can still run with the best of them at 38 years old. If he would play as a the primary bench scorer, the Warriors will be scary. As noticed in the Finals, when Bogut is injured, the Warriors struggle on offense when they have to settle with Festus Ezeli and/or Marresse Speights at the frontline when Draymond Green sits. The drop-off is steep. Nowitzki will give them a solid offensive option at the frontline. It would ensure that there will always be a big man to defend.
The Warriors were 4 points away from defending their NBA title and it took a superhuman effort from the best player in the world to beat them. Adding Dirk to their roster would be scary.
Sean Highkin of NBC Sports believes that this is probably "a pipe dream." While he wants to win again, he is not title-less and would like to leave a legacy with the Mavericks similar to what Kobe has with the Lakers.
However, Dirk will become a free agent with the intent to sign a three-year deal. Would Mark Cuban build a competitive team within that time frame? Nowitzki's contributions will be reduced as he grows older and if they don't acquire better teammates around him, the Mavs will be a losing team on rebuild. Is that how Dirk would like to end his career (similarly tragic to Kobe's farewell run)?
There may be more intrigue to this than meets the eye. It's highly improbable, but still worth exploring.