NBA All-Star big man Rudy Gobert has committed to another five years with Utah Jazz as he has signed a contract extension worth $205 million.
Gobert had time until December 21 to sign a new extension, otherwise he would have become a free agent after this season, which meant he could either sign with the Jazz once again or any other team of his choice. But the Jazz have now sealed his services for the next five years. This was their second major signing this season after they secured the services of Donovan Mitchell with a rookie max contract extension, worth $195 million and five years, during the off season.
“It means that they believe in me,” Gobert said via ESPN. “They believe in what we’ve been building over the years with this whole organization, with coach [Quin Snyder] 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.”
In fact, Gobert was eligible for a $228 million Supermax extension, the same as that of Giannis Antetokounmpo with the Bucks, but it has been reported that Gobert was more concerned about the Jazz remaining financially stable over signing for the highest amount.
“For me, my goal is to always win a championship,” Gobert said. “When we spoke with my agent before the negotiations started, I decided that I didn’t want to ask for the supermax. We didn’t want to start the negotiations by asking for the supermax. For me, it was important to show to the organization and show to the team that it wasn’t about money. It was about continuing to build what we’ve been building and also give this team and give myself the stability and the peace of mind to not have to deal with the negotiations later.”
Gobert’s contract extension now with that of Mitchell means that the Jazz are confident about winning the Championship with the help of these two stars and whatever differences existed between the two players before, doesn’t exist anymore. Even Gobert has confirmed that there is no tension whatsoever between him and Mitchell now.
“After all the things that happened within our team and all that, I really wanted to go back in the bubble and see how things are going,” Gobert said. “After the bubble, I really felt like I could win a championship with Donovan. 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.”
Gobert was excellent for the Jazz last season averaging 15.1 points, and a career-best 13.5 rebounds. He will be eager to notch up even better numbers in this season.
