According to Tim McMajon of ESPN, the Utah Jazz have locked down Rudy Gobert with a five-year, $205 million extension.
It is the largest deal in NBA history for a center and the third-largest ever behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and Russell Westbrook.
“It means that they believe in me,” said Gobert. “They believe in what we’ve been building over the years with this whole organization, with coach (Quin Synder) and all the guys. For me, it’s an incredible blessing. It’s 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.”
Although Gobert was eligible for a supermax deal of $228 million over five years, he said he left money on the table to aid the team’s flexibility moving forward.
The Jazz have now secured their two biggest stars through already the 2024-25 season, by signing Donovan Mitchell to a five-year extension last month.
Gobert will have a player option ahead of the final year of his deal, and so will Mitchell.
28-year-old Gobert is mostly known for his defensive prowess, averaging 2.2 blocks per game during his entire career. He has been named Defensive Player of the Year two times and has been first-team All-Defense for the past four seasons.
His offense has also been improving, as averaged a minimum of 15 points per game in the last two seasons while earning his first All-start selection in 2019-20.
Gobert ended last season averaging 15.1 points, 13.5 rebounds and 2 blocks per game, while his 10.7 win shares stood fifth in the NBA, according to Basketball Reference. He finished tied for second place in win shares in 2018-19.
Even when he does not take as many shots, the French centre has made a difference. The next step for the Utah Jazz is playoff success after losing in the first round since the past two seasons.
