Is Nowitzki done in Dallas?
Mavs clearly need a shakeup, but owner has been loyal to All-Star forward
D. Clarke Evans / Getty Images ContributorSAN ANTONIO - APRIL 29: Dirk Nowitzki #41 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts to a mis-shot against the San Antonio Spurs in Game Six of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2010 NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center on April 29, 2010 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by D.Clarke Evans/NBAE via Getty Images)
ASK THE NBA EXPERT MAILBAG
By Ira Winderman
NBCSports.com
updated 11:55 p.m. ET April 30, 2010
 | Ira Winderman |
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You ask, we (try to) answer:
Q. Ira, what do you think happens now with Dirk? Does he sign somewhere else? Does Dallas include him in a sign-and-trade? Can the Mavericks come back with the same team?
— Moe, Denver
A. Dallas has to do something. And Nowitzki needs a fresh start. Otherwise, no matter the regular-season record, the questions will start all over next April.
And owner Mark Cuban, who has invested so much of his time, money and personality, also has gone above and beyond when it comes to loyalty to Nowitzki.
It could be as simple as some sort of sign-and-trade with Toronto for Chris Bosh. Such a deal would bring Bosh back home and provide Dallas with a bit more grit in its power rotation. It also would allow Toronto to collect another European to player in a system that caters to the international style.
Then there is the issue of Rick Carlisle, who for all his regular-season success, seems to hit a wall in the playoffs, making him the Nowitzki of coaches, to a degree.
It will be interesting to see how Cuban handles all this. His loyalty to the likes of Nowitzki and Jason Terry is rare among today's owners.
But he also has his limits. And while he folded a bit too early with Steve Nash, he certainly had his limits there. Now the issue is whether he has reached his limit with Nowitzki.
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What Nowitzki needs is a youthful, A-List teammate. As a free agent, he could find that in Chicago with Derrick Rose, possibly in New Jersey with a lottery pick, possibly in New York with another A-list free agent, or possibly even in Miami with Dwyane Wade.
The Mavericks and Nowitzki have nothing to be ashamed about if there is a parting. It has been a compelling ride, if not one that has provided ultimate success.
Q. No matter how this postseason plays out, are there any Lakers who you see not being with the team next season?
— Karla, Tampa
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A. There clearly has to be an upgrade at point guard, which could make this the end of the line for Derek Fisher, who is in the final year of his contract.
Failing ultimate success, I also could see the Lakers making a move for Chris Bosh in a sign-and-trade. A package including Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom could just prove tempting enough to the Raptors, and how could Bosh say no to the possibility of playing alongside Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol with the Lakers?
It also is safe to say that Adam Morrison is in his final days of clogging space on the salary cap, that Phil Jackson is just about at wit's end with Sasha Vujacic, and that Shannon Brown probably could do better financially elsewhere by invoking his opt-out clause.
Q. Why is the NBA so biased against Kobe Bryant and going gaga over LeBron James? For me, Kobe will always remain the best in the world. How many players can average 27 points per game with a broken index finger, a bad knee and a bad ankle? Why has the NBA become a one-man show?
— Adhiraj, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
A. Because the NBA always has been about the next big thing. And because, right now, LeBron is better.
Then again, the two might settle that debate if they both make it to the NBA Finals.
You do make a few reasonable points, and if the Lakers make the Finals and the Cavaliers aren't there, then perhaps Kobe is being shortchanged in the equation (although he has a superior supporting cast to what LeBron has in Cleveland).
Don't worry, just as with Michael Jordan, the media soon will tire of LeBron and find someone else to honor as Most Valuable Player, just as it did during those years when Charles Barkley and Karl Malone received the MVP despite superior seasons by Jordan.
Q. Kobe will need to change his game next season to go more toward Jason Kidd's game, become an incredible assist maker and still score a good 20ish points per game. He needs to reinvent himself, as he cannot last playing the minutes that he has been playing. Hopefully his body, with the help of glue, paper clips, and Kobe's mental toughness, will be enough to allow him succeed through his new extension.
— Alan, Portsmouth, R.I.
A. I think Kobe already has begun to do that, with fewer dunks and more jumpers. Jordan certainly was able to thrive later in his career (before the second retirement). But you make good points. We might just be in the midst of the slowing of Kobe.
Q. With George Karl out for cancer treatment, does he get credit for wins and losses against his all-time coaching record?
— Scott, Streetsboro, Ohio
A. Yes. Karl remains listed as Denver's coach and therefore is the coach of record on the Nuggets' ledger.
With Karl involved in such a struggle, and certainly in all of our prayers, it will be interesting to see how the Nuggets handle the situation in the offseason.
This is a unique situation and one where basketball is purely secondary in the equation.
Q. Must the free agent approve the team he would go to in order for his current owner to do a sign-and-trade?
— Joel, Miami
A. Absolutely. But, in the end, I've found over the years that if you offer a player enough money, he'll go to Siberia. Of course, to get his approval, it could involve a few more dollars than you budgeted.
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Q. Will Toronto's insistence on a sign-and-trade ruin the chances of a team getting Bosh?
— Kevin, Tampa
A. It has nothing to do with what Toronto wants. A team with cap space can simply offer Bosh a max contract. Bosh then can go back to the Raptors and say, "I'm going to Team X, but I can earn more if you want to get something back in a sign-and-trade." What the Raptors want has absolutely nothing to do with the process. It's what Bosh wants. Bryan Colangelo is Bosh's pawn right now, nothing more.
Q. Where is data available on how retired NBA players do financially?
— Mark, Scottsdale, Ariz.
A. Try the NBA Retired Players Association (NBPA), which also is known as Legends of Basketball.
Ira Winderman writes regularly for NBCSports.com and covers the Heat and the NBA for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
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