Rudy Gobert agrees to a maximum contract extension with Utah Jazz for 5 years and $ 205 million

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NBA giant Rudy Gobert will sign a five-year, $ 205 million extension with the Utah Jazz, he said ESPN after agreeing to the biggest contract for a center in league history.

“It means I believe in myself,” Gobert told ESPN. “They believe in what we have built over the years with this whole organization, with the coach [Quin Snyder] and all the boys. It’s an incredible blessing to me. It is a very motivating feeling to know that we all share the same vision and we all share this goal for this state and for this franchise. “

Gobert, 28, was eligible for a $ 228 million supermax extension, identical to the deal Giannis Antetokounmpo just signed with the Milwaukee Bucks, as he is a two-time defensive player of the year and a three-time All-NBA selection. Gobert said he did not request the full supermax because he wanted Jazz to have the flexibility to continue building around him and Donovan Mitchell.

“My goal is always to win a championship,” said Gobert, who has a player option for the fifth season of the contract. “When I talked to my agent before the negotiations started, I decided I didn’t want to ask for supermax. I didn’t want to start negotiations asking about supermax. For me, it was important to show the organization and the team that it wasn’t about money. It was it’s about continuing to build and giving me stability and peace of mind not to deal with negotiations later. “

“I want to win and I look forward to leaving this money on the table for the team just so I can have more talent around me and Donovan was really important. I want to win, I believe in this group and I believe in this organization. I I was willing to put that money aside on the table for them. “

Gobert’s contract is the third largest deal in NBA history, behind the new agreement signed by Antetokounmpo and a $ 206.8 million five-year deal signed by Washington Wizards goalkeeper Russell Westbrook with Oklahoma. City Thunder. in 2017.

Jazz has blocked both cornerstones of the franchise with long-term extensions this season. Guardian Donovan Mitchell, 24, signed a five-year extension of his rookie contract to a guaranteed value of $ 163 million, with a 30% clause that would increase the total value of the transaction to $ 195 million. . if selected for an All-NB team this season.

There was well-documented tension between Gobert and Mitchell that emerged during the NBA break earlier this year, but both players expressed confidence that they can continue to form a productive professional partnership after discussing their issues before the league resumes. This belief was reaffirmed by their bubble chemistry.

“After all the things that happened in our team, I really wanted to go back to the ball and see how things went,” Gobert said. “After the balloon, I really felt like I could win a championship with Donovan. I think we’ve both grown a lot and will continue to grow. I’m very excited that we can continue this journey together.”

Gobert became one of the NBA’s most dominant big men during Utah’s seven seasons, trading for the 27th pick in the 2013 draft to select the 7-foot Frenchman and handing him over to what he was then called League D for most of his debut season.

“Seeing Rudy evolve as a player on the field through his competitiveness, his tireless work ethic and his passion and dedication to improvement has been extraordinary,” Snyder wrote in a message to ESPN. “He is an elite player and has an impact on our team in many ways with his unique abilities, let alone his pure will to win. He also has great faith in his teammates and in what he achieves. more proud of the way Rudy has grown and the impact it has had on our community and around the world, it has been a great pleasure to see his commitment to young people and to others, and I know he will continue to make his mark. in a significant way. “

Gobert, who is entering the final season of a four-year, $ 102 million contract, has been an All-NBA pick in three of the last four seasons and was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2017-18 and 2018. -19.

He averaged 14.7 points, 12.6 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game during Jazz’s four-season stint after being a mainstay of the franchise’s transformation from a 25-win team to his rookie year on a perennial playoff team.

“Utah is my home,” said Gobert, who launched the Rudy’s Kids Foundation in 2017 to help underprivileged children in Salt Lake City, all other NBA cities, and his hometown of Saint-Quentin, France. “I see myself as a loyal person. Many people have said to me, “Why not go to a bigger market? “I always tell people that winning a championship in Utah and creating our heritage here would mean so much more.

“I think Donovan thinks the same way, coach Q thinks the same way, [el nuevo propietario del Jazz] Ryan Smith think the same. We really want to build and create our own path. We want to do something that has never happened before and, for me, it is also the interesting part. I think we’re going to win a championship in Utah. “

Bobby Marks ESPN contributed to this report.

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