Free agent forward Dirk Nowitzki will sign a one-year, $5 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks, setting himself up for a record-setting 21st season with the same team, according to Marc Stein of The New York Times.

The deal has been in place since last week, but the German international was in no rush to sign it. The Mavericks had moved quickly to secure a one-year agreement with the 7-footer, who expressed every bit of desire to finish his career with the organization after undergoing ankle surgery by skipping out on the last few days of the regular season in hopes to maximize his recovery time.

Nowitzki is hoping to be ready for training camp and hit the ground running along with his new teammates, including center DeAndre Jordan and rookie Luka Doncic.

The sharpshooting forward will have the ultimate passing of the torch from one international to another, passing on as much knowledge as possible to Doncic, who could be one of the faces of the franchise along with Dennis Smith Jr. and Harrison Barnes.

Nowitzki expressed desire to return for one last season, hoping he could go out on a good note after struggling the past two seasons with injuries and an aging roster that failed to bring results to the table in a merciless Western Conference.

The Mavericks should see a boost this season with their new pieces, maybe even giving Nowitzki one last glance at the postseason before he calls it quits after being the talisman of this team for over two decades.