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The Dallas Mavericks and veteran big man?Dirk Nowitzki have hammered out the framework of a new contract that sets Nowitzki up to earn $40 million over the next two seasons and play until age 40, according to league sources.Sources told ESPN that some of the finer contract details are still being worked through, but the broad financial terms have been nailed down in a deal constructed to pay Nowitzki an annual salary in the $20 million range that is more commensurate with his Hall of Fame stature after playing on an ultra-steep discount for the past two seasons.Before coming to terms with Nowitzki, Dallas rallied from two early disappointments in free agency and used its substantial salary-cap space to make some promising pickups. After being spurned by Hassan Whiteside and Mike Conley, Dallas capitalized on the sudden availability of Harrison Barnes and Andrew Bogut in Golden State -- in the wake of the Warriors success in the Kevin Durant sweepstakes -- to agree on a four-year, $94.4 million max deal to sign Barnes and a trade to acquire Bogut.The second year of Nowitzkis new deal is likely to be a player option, sources said, which would allow the NBAs sixth all-time leading scorer to decide whether he wants to keep playing. Nowitzki, who turned 38 on June 19, has said numerous times since Dallas season ended with a first-round exit to Oklahoma City that his ideal scenario is playing two more seasons, but hes also made it clear he wants to re-evaluate things at the end of the 2016-17 season.Since it emerged in May that Nowitzki would likely decline his $8.7 million player option for next season and return to free agency for the first time since the summer of 2014, it has been widely expected -- both in Dallas and leaguewide -- that the 7-footer from Germany refused to even consider leaving the Mavericks, who acquired him on draft night in 1998 and have made him the focal point of their franchise ever since.Dirk gets to do what Dirk wants, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said during a public appearance in June. Period. End of story.I told him the other day: If Dirk wants to be the head coach, well move Rick [Carlisle] over a little bit. Dirks done so much for this franchise, hes earned that opportunity.In his 18-year career, Nowitzki has won an MVP award in both the regular season (2007) and NBA Finals (2011) to go with his 13 All-Star selections. With 29,491 career points, Nowitzki is also on pace to surpass Wilt Chamberlain and move into the top five on the leagues all-time scoring list during the 2017-18 season as long as he avoids significant injury.Nowitzkis previous contract was a three-year, $25 million deal, which represented a steep hometown discount to seemingly provide Dallas with the salary-cap flexibility needed to construct a contender during his twilight years. The Mavs, however, have failed to get out of the first round since their 2011 title run, although Nowitzki led them in scoring again this past season.Nowitzki has acknowledged that his decision to stay in Dallas would be much more difficult if the Mavs hadnt broken through to win their first title in 2011. If he ends up playing two more seasons, Nowitzki would join Kobe Bryant as the only players in league history to spend an entire two-decade career with a single franchise. Nike Vapormax Clearance . After a first half in which he thought "the lid was on the basket," the Toronto Raptors coach watched his squad mount a second half surge to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 98-91. Nike Vapormax Canada Sale . 4 Villanova with a 96-68 drubbing on Monday. Wragge hit 9-of-14 from behind the arc, matching Kyle Korvers school record for 3-pointers in a game set in 2003, as Creighton (16-3, 6-1 Big East broke a conference record with 21 treys in the rout. http://www.vapormaxcanada.com/ . - Oakland Raiders running back Rashad Jennings was speaking to a group of local high school students earlier this week when the conversation turned to the importance of being prepared when opportunities in life arise. Nike Vapormax Canada . Its the second straight game Bell has scored in extra time for Kelowna, which beat the Brandon Wheat Kings 6-5 on Friday, and he now has four game-winning goals on the season. Nike Vapormax Sale Canada . Paul Pierce couldnt believe he missed at the end. Young scored a season-high 26 points to spark a huge effort from the leagues most productive bench, and Los Angeles beat the Brooklyn Nets 99-94 on Wednesday night after blowing a 27-point lead. CHICAGO -- Wrigley Field was dark and empty when a loud cheer reverberated throughout the neighborhood surrounding the iconic ballpark.While the Chicago Cubs decided to delay their party, their long-downtrodden fans were ready to celebrate.Chicago wasted its first chance to clinch the NL Central title when pinch-hitter Scooter Gennett delivered a tiebreaking, two-run double in the seventh inning Thursday night, leading the Milwaukee Brewers to a 5-4 victory. But St. Louis 6-2 loss at San Francisco completed the Cubs season-long dominance of the division.It appeared manager Joe Maddon and his players were long gone when the West Coast game wrapped up. But the final out in San Francisco touched off a celebration in Chicago that included honking horns and chanting in the streets.This is just the first step, Maddon said before the Cardinals lost. I mean, we have much larger baseball fish to fry in our skillet.The Cubs (93-53) were hoping to begin a 10-game homestand with a boozy celebration of their first division title since 2008. But Keon Broxton homered and Orlando Arcia drove in two runs for Milwaukee, making Chicago wait a little while longer.Now the party shifts to Friday, right after the Cubs afternoon start against the Brewers. It might be a bit anticlimactic for Maddon and Co., but they took all the drama out of the division race long ago.Led by a stellar pitching staff and MVP contenders Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo, Chicago got off to a sizzling 25-6 start. After stumbling into the All-Star break, the Cubs pulled away with a 22-6 August that turned the NL Central race into a mere formality.But the division title is not how this group of Cubs will be judged, not this year. After running roughshod over the rest of the majors for most of the season, they are trying to end the franchises famous championship drought that goes all the way back to when the Cubs beat the Tigers in the 1908 World Series.Weve got a lot ahead of us. We really do, president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said before the loss to Milwaukee. It kind of all boils down to how you perform in October.Its only the fourth time the Cubs have reached the postseason in consecutive seasons. They got in as a wild card last year and made it to the NL Championship Series before they were swept by the New York Mets.The offseason additions of Ben Zobrist and Jason Heyward only added to the anticipation for the Cubs loyal fan base, and they have delivered up until this point.dddddddddddd But many of those same fans also were around for the last division title, when the 2008 Cubs won 97 games and then were swept by the Dodgers in the division series.Theres no team Id rather be going into October with, Epstein said. But there are never favorites in October the same way there are in the regular season.Jorge Soler hit a two-run homer for the Cubs, who had won three of four. Mike Montgomery pitched six solid innings and helped himself with a tying single in the fourth for his first career hit.Justin Grimm (1-1) replaced Montgomery in the seventh, and the Brewers put runners on first and third with one out. Gennett, batting for Jimmy Nelson (8-14), blooped an 0-2 curveball into the corner in left for a 5-3 Milwaukee lead.I was just trying to put the ball in play, Gennett said. Hes a guy who throws a lot of curveballs so its important not to get too big or try to do too much. Its really just, get a good pitch to hit and put it in play.The Cubs got one back on Heywards RBI double in the eighth, but Tyler Thornburg threw a called third strike past pinch-hitter Willson Contreras with runners at the corners to end the inning.Thornburg also worked the ninth for his 10th save in 15 chances.It was just a flat-out good ballgame, Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said. Obviously, with where theyre at, there was great energy in the park tonight.TRAINERS ROOMBrewers: RHP Michael Blazek (right forearm strain) threw a simulated game. Counsell would like to get Blazek into some games before the end of the season, but said theres no rush. The goal with Mike is just to go into the offseason healthy, Counsell said.Cubs: RHP Pedro Strop, who tweaked his right groin while working his way back from arthroscopic left knee surgery, threw a bullpen and said it went well. Hes getting close, Maddon said. Its not far off.UP NEXTMaddon likely will rest several regulars when the series resumes Friday afternoon. RHP John Lackey (9-8, 3.35 ERA) is scheduled to face Brewers RHP Chase Anderson (8-11, 4.53).---Follow Jay Cohen at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap ' ' '