Dirk Nowitzki could sign a 3-year contract with the Mavericks this summer

Dirk Nowitzki could sign a three-year deal this summer after opting out of the final year of his contract, he told the Dallas Morning News on Tuesday.

Nowitzki has a player option worth $8.6 million, but he'll reportedly opt out of that to re-sign for at least a couple more years with the Mavericks. Primarily, this will give Dallas flexibility when they bring him back this summer, as they can give him a little bit less or more based on how free agency plays out over the summer.

"Haven't decided 100 percent, but I've met with Donnie (Nelson) and I just met with Mark (Cuban) once I came back from vacation just seeing what the next few years could bring for this franchise, who's available, what's out there, what's best for both sides," Nowitzki told Sefko. "I don't think either side has made a decision yet, but it's probably going to look like it (opting out). Since I felt great and played sort of decent, I might opt out and maybe sign a two- or three-year deal. We'll see how it goes, but that's probably the plan for now."

The 37-year-old Nowitzki has repeatedly mentioned how great he felt during the 2015-16 season, after feeling his age during the 2014-15 campaign. Because of that, Nowitzki has expressed a desire to play 20 seasons, and a potential three-year contract would lock him up through the 2018-19 season, where he would be 41-years-old. Signing a three-year contract doesn't guarantee he'll complete it, of course, with retirement always looming as an option, especially if the Mavericks can't put a stable team around him so Nowitzki can keep participating in the playoffs. But it does indicate that Nowitzki feels like he could potentially play that long.

Regardless, it's looking more and more like the Mavericks will get a couple more seasons from Dirk Nowitzki, barring a complete disaster this summer.