Dirk Nowitzki to consider surgery if knee not better in a week

Dirk Nowitzki may undergo knee surgery. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/Getty Images)

The Dallas Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki is giving his knee a rest but said something will have to be done if it's not better in a week, according to Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News:

“We’ll see how it responds,” he said. “But the longer we wait, obviously the worse it is. If we have to do something, it’d be better to do it quick.

The arthroscopic surgery that he'd need to alleviate inflammation in his knee is a procedure that's relatively minor, according to Sefko, and would require only a few weeks rest. If Nowitzki does go through with the surgery to clean out his knee, he would likely miss the first few games of the regular season.

Because of the pain, Nowitzki had to sit out Tuesday's loss to FC Barcelona Regal at Palau St. Jordi. The swelling in his knee would reportedly not disappear after the game.

"Obviously, it’s unfortunate. Last year, we dealt with it. Hopefully, it’ll respond here in the next week or so, and I’ll play throughout the whole season."

Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle said the coaching and medical staff are monitoring his knee very closely.