NBA great man Rudy Gobert will sign a $ 205 million five-year extension with the Utah Jazz, he told ESPN after accepting the biggest deal for a center in league history. .
“It means they believe in me,” Gobert told ESPN. “They believe in what we’ve been building over the years with this whole organization, with Coach [Quin Snyder] and all the boys. For me, it’s an amazing blessing. 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, because he is a two-time defensive player of the year and three times NBA selection. Gobert said he did not request the full supermax because he wanted Jazz to have the flexibility to continue building around roommate Donovan Mitchell and himself.
“For me, my goal is to always win a championship,” said Gobert, who has a player option for the fifth season of the deal. “When we talked to my agent before starting the negotiations, I decided I didn’t want to ask for the supermax. We didn’t want to start the negotiations asking for the supermax. For me, it was important to show it to the organization and prove it to the team that was not about money.It was about continuing to build what we have been building and also giving this team and giving me the stability and peace of mind of not having to deal with negotiations later.
“I want to win, and I want to leave that money on the table for the team just to have better talent around me and Donovan was really important. I want to win, and I believe in this group and I believe in this organization, and I was willing to leave that money on the table for them. “
Gobert’s contract is the third largest deal in NBA history, behind the recently signed Antetokounmpo deal and a five-year, $ 206.8 million deal signed by Russell Westbrook, the mainstay of the Washington Wizards, with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017.
The Jazz closed both cornerstones of their All-Star franchise to long-term extensions this offseason. Gunman Donovan Mitchell, 24, signed a maximum five-year extension of his $ 163 million guaranteed novelty contract, with a 30% escalator clause that would increase the overall value of the deal up to $ 195 million if selected for an NBA All-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 they could continue to form a productive professional partnership after discussing their problems. before the restart of the league. This belief was reaffirmed by his chemistry in the bubble.
“After all the things that happened inside our team and all that, I was really looking forward to going back to the bubble and seeing how things are going,” Gobert said. “After the bubble, I 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 to be able to continue this journey together.”
Gobert has become one of the most dominant big men in the NBA during his seven seasons in Utah, which he changed to the 27th overall pick in the 2013 draft to select the 7-foot Frenchman and has assigned him to the then League D for most of his rookie season.
“Seeing Rudy evolve as a player on the court through his competitiveness, relentless work ethic and his passion and dedication to improving has been huge,” Snyder wrote in a text message to ESPN. “He is an elite player and impacts our team in many ways with his skill set, let alone his willingness to win. He also has a lot of belief in his teammates and in what they achieve. I am even more proud of how Rudy has grown personally and the impact he has had on our community and around the world.His commitment to youth and others has been so gratifying to see, and I know he will continue to leave his imprint in significant ways “.
Gobert, who is entering the final season of a four-year, $ 102 million contract, has been a NBA All-National selection for three of the last four seasons and was named Defensive Player of the Year. leagues in 2017-18 and 2018-19. He has averaged 14.7 points, 12.6 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game during the Jazz’s streak of four consecutive seasons with postseason beds, having been a mainstay of a team’s franchise transformation. 25 wins from his debut year in a perennial playoff squad.
“Utah is my home,” said Gobert, who launched his Rudy’s Kids Foundation in 2017 to help underprivileged children in Salt Lake City, any other NBA city, and his hometown, Saint-Quentin. France. “I see myself as a loyal person. I’ve had so many people say to me, ‘Why don’t you go to a bigger market?’ I always tell people that winning a championship in Utah and creating our legacy in Utah would mean so much more.
“I think Donovan is thinking the same way, Coach Q is thinking the same way, [new Jazz owner] Ryan Smith is thinking the same way. We really want to build something, create something and create our own path. We want to do something that has never happened and, for me, this is also the most exciting part. I think we’re going to win a championship in Utah. “
ESPN’s Bobby Marks contributed to this report.