HoopsHype.com Rumors

Me: Are you still confident the front office can build a contender again? Dirk Nowitzki: I think sometimes you just need to gamble a little bit. You need to take chances. You may have to take a contract that people may say is not a good contract. But the great thing is if you have cap space, you can do that. I think with cap space you can still turn a franchise around pretty quick. So, yeah, we're just gonna go for it this summer and see what's out there in free agency. If not, maybe sign and trade, or trades. We just have to wait and see. So what we have to do now is just let it all hang out in the last three weeks or so, see if we make the push to the playoffs, and if not, we'll see what we've got going through the Draft, and then July will be a big month for us. NBA.com

Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki 

Me: Are you a recruiter now? DN: I'm obviously gonna be here most of the summer. If they need me to go somewhere or call somebody, I'll obviously be more than happy to. This is my home. Once you've won it all, you want that feeling again. You don't want to be out of the playoffs looking in. We'd love to have that feeling again. The city was so excited. The franchise was. We'd love to at least play for that again. It's a big summer for us, and anything I can do, I'll be here. NBA.com

Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki 

Me: What offensive adjustments has Rick made this year? Dirk Nowitzki: I think honestly, he's been hard on (Darren) Collison and (O.J.) Mayo all year. He's challenged them to be better decision-makers on pick and rolls, on the fastbreak. I think both of them have made tremendous strides from earlier in the season. I think with Coach (Jim) O'Brien implementing his offense, we're playing a lot more movement. We're one of the fastest-paced teams in the league. I think we were number one for a while; I'm not sure if we still are. But we really like to push it now with our guards. If we don't have the break, we like to move it. Five guys touching it, swing it, pick and roll. If it's nothing on the first side, move it, get another pick and roll. It's a fun way to play. Everybody's sharing it, less pounding, less iso. We all know that at the end of the game, when the game slows down, there will be some pick and rolls and some isos. But in the course of the game we're trying to keep the pace up and it's been working for us. NBA.com

Dallas Mavericks, OJ Mayo, Darren Collison, Dirk Nowitzki, Rick Carlisle 

Me: It seems like that's the trend league wide. You see Boston and Miami playing a similar way. DN: Yeah, I agree. I think the league goes more in the four or five guys out, even, one guy in. I mean, we played Boston the other night, they played Jeff Green at the five. It's all about, with the rules now, taking a guy off the dribble, get to the foul line. The three ball is a huge weapon in our game nowadays. All the good teams have numerous 3-point shooters, and you can never leave one of them. When I first got in the league, all the iso stuff, it's pretty much gone. It's moving it. It's a more fun way of play, with everybody touching it, everybody moving. It's more of a passing game, not a lot of play calls, really. You get a stop, you run up, you play off of each other. It's a fun way to play. NBA.com

Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki 

After Friday night’s Boston game, we had an interesting exchange with Dirk Nowitzki when we asked him about the rumor that his wife, Jessica, is pregnant. Today comes a report in the German newspaper Bild that Nowitzki has confirmed the pregnancy. Dallas Morning News

Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki 

Since the reporter’s question and Terry’s answer occurred in front of a group of reporters, it became incumbent to ask the Mavericks and Nowitzki whether Jessica Olsson, whom Nowitzki married last summer, is in fact pregnant. A Mavericks spokesperson declined to confirm or deny the rumor. So The News waited until the Mavericks locker room cleared of other players and reporters and told Nowitzki about the exchange between the Chinese reporter and Terry. Nowitzki finished putting on his shoes, stood and smiled. His face turned red, but not out of anger. “I haven’t heard that,” Nowitzki said, still smiling. “Thanks for the heads up.” Dallas Morning News

Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki 

He walked away, still smiling, having not exactly denied the rumor. Nowitzki, 34, has always been intensely private when it comes to his personal life. Recall that for most of last summer, reports persistent that he and Olsson had gotten married. The Mavericks on several occasions denied that a marriage had occurred. Dallas Morning News

Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki 

"He meant so much to our franchise," Nowitzki said. "Not only on the court, where, to me, he's one of the best clutch shooters I ever played with, but also off the court. He was a great community man. Every other day, he was doing something, appearances left and right. He's just a guy with a huge heart. I wish him all the best this season and hopefully he gets the ovation that he deserves." Terry said he's gotten past the disappointment of the title team not being kept together, but he said it's been tough to watch his former team fight just to try to get to .500. He said his only emotions Friday night will be joyful. "I shed tears when I had to leave," Terry said, "so I don't think I've got any more left." ESPN.com

Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry 

”I feel bad for the kid,” said Dirk Nowitzki. “It’s sad. So many injuries. He’s been here for four years and he’s missed a lot of action. He broke his foot twice, dislocated numerous fingers and finally breaks his hand. It’s tough. We feel bad for him. But he’s a good kid. Dallas Morning News

Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki, Rodrigue Beaubois, Injuries 

The whole package has raised the possibility that Wright might very well be a keeper for the Mavericks in this season of transition. “He’s been great,” Dirk Nowitzki said. “Obviously, he’s very athletic and uses his length and athleticism. He gets blocks and big rebounds. He runs the court very well. If there’s a fast break, he’s always one of the first ones down there. He’s been great for us the last couple weeks. Hopefully, he can keep it up.” Dallas Morning News

Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki, Brandan Wright 

"Gotta say that I think LeBron's job is probably a little harder," Nowitzki said. "Messi can hide sometimes and only needs one genius touch to look good. LeBron can never hide. Eyes are always on him. But he's just such a better athlete than anyone we've ever seen. He just makes the game look easy." ESPN.com

Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat, LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki, FC Barcelona, Spain, Lionel Messi 

Dirk Nowitzki, one of those three current Mavs who was on the championship team, still believes Jones has a legitimate shot to stick in the NBA if he can find the right situation. "I like Dominique, he was my man,'' Nowitzki told the Star-Telegram after Sunday morning's shoot around at the Target Center. "It's unfortunate. "I think he's got an NBA body, he's got the NBA strength. Hopefully he'll be able to find a job next year and he'll be able to play.'' Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki, Dominique Jones 

For those, and other personal reasons, Nowitzki, 34, would like to see all that repeated one more time before he hangs up his sneakers for good. "Once you win it all it's such a great feeling to see the excitement of the city and everything with the franchise,'' Nowitzki told the Star-Telegram after Friday morning's shoot around at The Palace of Auburn Hills. "It was an amazing feeling and I'd love to compete for it for the rest of my career.'' Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki 

"I think everybody accepted that and we moved forward and made the best out of it, we went for a free agent and didn't get it and we'll see what we do with the cap space this summer around. But we definitely need to make something happen to be up there again in the West.'' Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Dallas Mavericks, Free Agency, Dirk Nowitzki 

However, the Mavs were somewhat perturbed when Fisher signed his contract with the Thunder. The Mavs wanted to know what happened to the "I miss my family'' story Fisher told the Mavs? "If a guy says he misses his kids and his family, that’s really not much you can say,'' said Nowitkzi, who gave Fisher the benefit of the doubt. "And now it's already later in the season where he’s probably only away for a couple of months. "A man got to make a decision for himself sometimes, and that’s what he did.’’ Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Dallas Mavericks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Derek Fisher, Dirk Nowitzki 

Earl K. Sneed: Dirk: "It's not pretty, but there is some pride in this locker room. I've never quit in my career, and I'm not going to start now." Twitter @EKS_MavsNBA

Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki 

The Mavericks have made a habit of not looking backward for anything, and they don’t make an exception for Deron Williams. When the free agent from The Colony spurned the home-town team last summer to stay in Brooklyn with the Nets, the Mavericks refused to play the what-if game. “In free agency, we can’t always get what we want,” Dirk Nowitzki said. “It’s not a Wish concert. It didn’t go the way we wanted so we have to move on as a franchise.” As for wondering what might have happened if Williams had come home to the Mavericks, it’s not worth the mental effort. “It was over in July,” Nowitzki said. “We kept our cap space and we’ll see what happens this year.” Dallas Morning News

Dallas Mavericks, Free Agency, Dirk Nowitzki 

Really, the question is, how much of a paycut is Nowitzki willing to take to help Mark Cuban and Donnie Nelson try to construct a contender-quality roster? "Well, I think it's a little too early to look, honestly," Nowitzki said. "Basically the last couple of times, there was not much negotiating going on. It was, 'Give me money and I'll stay,' right? I gave him a little discount last time. "The CBA's changed. We'll talk about that when it gets to that point. I've still got this year and the full next year. We'll see what happens and where this franchise is. It all depends on a big summer. This is a big summer." ESPN.com

Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki 

After his most dominant performance of a frustrating season, Dirk Nowitzki declared he has no doubt he'll play for the Dallas Mavericks at least through the 2015-16 season. "When my [current] contract's up, I'm 36 and I'll definitely sign a couple more years," Nowitzki said after recording season highs of 30 points and 13 rebounds in Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. "It's still fun, but I don't know if I'll play until 40. But when I'm 36, definitely sign one more deal, maybe two or three years." ESPN.com

Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki 

"Honestly, I had some doubts here when I came back," Nowitzki said. "It took so long. Is it ever going to come back? It was a tough stretch for me coming back from the surgery, but the way I feel now, I still think I can play a couple of years." ESPN.com

Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki