Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz sign 5-year, $205 million extension

All-Star center Rudy Gobert will continue to cast his long shadow in the paint for the Jazz, and in the state of Utah, for the foreseeable future.

The deal falls short of the “supermax” contract Gobert was eligible for. The $205 million total reflects a compromise between the 30% of the cap maximum most players with Gobert’s experience can earn and the 35% of the cap that the supermax would represent — the five-year, $228 million commitment that Giannis Antetokounmpo signed with the Milwaukee Bucks last week. Gobert’s deal represents about 31.5% of the cap over the course of the contract.

But undoubtedly, it’s a huge sum of money for the big man — indeed, the largest ever for a center, and the third-largest contract of all time. Only the Antetokounmpo deal and Russell Westbrook’s $208 million extension signed in 2017 are larger NBA contracts.

“Rudy is such a special player. He makes everyone on the court better,” Jazz owner Ryan Smith said in a statement. “We couldn’t be more excited about his commitment to this team, to Utah, and most importantly, to keeping this unique culture together.”

Still, Gobert felt that the tumultuous season showed promise. The deal also ensures that Gobert and teammate Donovan Mitchell have long-term commitments to stay in Utah, comprising the core of the team well into the 2020s. While reports of discord circulated during the summer of 2020 after the pair both tested positive for coronavirus, sending the NBA season into a months-long hiatus, both men have repaired their relationship and will work together for years to come.

“After the bubble, I really felt like I could win a championship with Donovan,” Gobert told ESPN. “I think we’ve both grown a lot, and we’re going to keep growing. I’m really excited that we’re going to be able to continue this journey together.”

The Jazz’s front office had many times telegraphed their intent to keep Gobert around as a long-term, core piece of the franchise.

Ahead of training camp, executive vice president of basketball operations Dennis Lindsey declined to discuss how extension talks were going, but did allow, “We love Rudy and we’d like Rudy to be here for the duration of his career.” Smith, in his introductory news conference this past Friday, added, “I love Rudy — I see everything he does, and have so much respect for him, and we definitely hope he’s going to be here for a really long time.”

Asked after Saturday’s practice if the encroaching deadline to sign a supermax extension was a distraction at all, Gobert gave an amused smile before responding that he was maintaining his “focus on winning, getting better as a team and as an individual.” At the time, it felt like an allusion to prior comments that he employed an agent to worry about the money things. In retrospect, though, it appears Gobert knew what was imminently on the horizon.

On Sunday, after the deal was announced, Gobert referenced both his past in Utah, as well as his now-long-term future.

“I have grown as a player, but most importantly, I have grown as a man over the last 7 years. You have seen me through the good times, you have also seen me through struggles and mistakes, and you have been patient while watching this French kid grow,” Gobert said in a written letter to fans. “Throughout, you have always supported me, and taken me in as one of your own. For that, I have always been grateful and it’s why my family and I are proud to continue to make this our home.”

Snyder highlighted some of his center’s premium qualities in a statement of his own.

“Rudy’s competitiveness and will to win have been instrumental in watching how he has grown and evolved into an elite player in our league,” he said. “He is dedicated to his teammates and to winning here in Utah. It has been so rewarding to watch how Rudy has evolved off the court as well and I look forward to seeing how he continues to make an impact through his dedication to kids and to our community.”