Nowitzki officially signed for record 21st season with Mavs

Dallas Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzki (41) celebrates sinking a 3-point basket in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Portland Trail Blazers in Dallas, Tuesday, April 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

DALLAS — Dirk Nowitzki is officially signed for a record 21st season with the Dallas Mavericks.

The Mavericks announced Monday that they had re-signed the 13-time All-Star. That was their plan when they declined a team option on Nowitzki’s contract at the start of free agency to create more room under the salary cap before signing DeAndre Jordan.

Nowitzki, a former NBA MVP who turned 40 last month, is set to become the first player in NBA history to play 21 consecutive seasons for the same franchise. The 7-foot German is one of six players overall, and the only international player, with more than 30,000 career points.

His $5 million contract is the same amount he would have been guaranteed for 2018-19 for the second season of a two-year deal signed last summer.