There will be no parade down Causeway Street in Boston or rally in front of the American Airlines Center in Dallas. There will be no self-aggrandizing announcements on still-under-construction Web sites, nor will the mayors of those two cities be tapped to deliver any moving speeches.
Excerpt found on sportsillustrated.cnn.com
No, when Paul Pierce and Dirk Nowitzki officially sign their names to four-year deals on Thursday — Pierce for $61 million with the Celtics and Nowitzki for $80 million with the Mavericks — the only acknowledgement will likely be a smattering of local reporters stuffed in a small room at a hastily scheduled press conference.
For Pierce and Nowitzki, the deals represent security, which, with a lockout looming after this upcoming season, is something every player is taking seriously (for instance, just look at Richard Jefferson, who, despite coming off a disappointing season with San Antonio, opted out of $15.2 million on the final year of his deal in hopes of negotiating a long-term contract). Sure, $21.5 million, as both Nowitzki and Pierce were scheduled to make next season before opting out, is nothing to sniff at. But by becoming free agents and accepting a reduced salary, Pierce and Nowitzki guaranteed themselves a healthy paycheck into their NBA golden years.
Nowitzki, 32, was eligible to receive a maximum $96 million offer. But by agreeing to a cut rate with the only team he’s ever played for, the former MVP allowed Mark Cuban to use the $16 million in savings not only for luxury-tax payments but also for potential signings (like Dallas’ bid to keep its unrestricted free-agent center, Brendan Haywood) and possible sign-and-trade deals, the only way for the capped-out Mavericks to land another top-tier free agent this offseason.
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