Salt Lake City has secured their last trump card.
French big man Rudy Gobert will resume his work as a paint beast after signing a five-year, $205 million contract extension with the Utah Jazz this weekend.
The agreement between Rudy Gobert and the Utah Jazz was a buzzer-beater as it made the deadline of December 21, the last day of signing before the regular season kickoff.
Rudy Gobert's contract meant that the Utah Jazz landed the biggest deal among the big men in NBA history.
It was the third most enormous deal after Russel Westbrook's contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017. Westbrook's contract was worth $206.8 million for five years. The largest recent contract was from Giannis Antetokounmpo, who inked a $228.2 million extension with the Milwaukee Bucks in a five-year deal.
When Rudy Gobert was asked about the importance of the deal, the two-time Defensive Player of the Year showed how he valued the team who developed him as an elite big man in the league.
In a virtual news conference, Gobert stated that it would not fit his journey, as his calling was destined for a championship title with the Utah Jazz.
He recalled his struggles in the last seven years, and he realized how far his hard work had already taken him after the first-round losses in the playoffs.
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For the 7-foot-1 All-Star player, winning a championship feels different from the Utah Jazz. He added that the journey to what he wants for the team is difficult, but it would be special if it happens.
Rudy Gobert was already eligible for the supermax contract, but the 28-year-old opted to let go of the full worth because he prioritized the Jazz's flexibility in the future. Gobert's deal held 31.5 percent of the team's cap, but if he will pursue the supermax contract the same as Giannis', it would occupy 35 percent of the Jazz cap.
In 2016, the French big man signed a four-year, $102 million extension. There is one season left in his last deal extension with the Jazz.
During the 2019-2020 season, Rudy Gobert strolled to an average of 15.1 points and 13.5 boards per game. He had the highest number of rebounds in the NBA season, and later, he was recognized and joined his first All-Star game.
The All-Star center was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2018 and 2019, but in the following year, Giannis Antetokounmpo took the title from him.
After the announcement of his contract, Rudy Gobert wrote a letter of appreciation to the Utah Jazz. His subject includes his mother and his head coach, Quin Snyder.
Snyder took his time to appreciate how he saw the French kid's growth with the Utah Jazz. He praised how Gobert was able to hurdle the obstacles to evolve into a great player and a teammate.
Snyder added that Gobert's development was intentional, and his player was continuing to prosper in terms of personal and professional aspects of the game.
"When you approach both your craft and life that way, you're going to have those moments," Snyder commented.
On March 11, Rudy Gobert was the first NBA player to contract coronavirus at the height of the pandemic when the NBA stopped conducting games for months.
With the rookie contract extension of Donovan Mitchell in a five-year, $195 million deal, the Jazz is now ready to conquer once again. The team looks forward to exceeding what they did last season.
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