Rudy Gobert is entering the final season of his contract with the Utah Jazz, and the big man has until next week to agree to an extension. Unless he and the team can find some middle ground, Gobert may be headed for free agency next year.
Gobert is eligible for the supermax extension, which is worth up to 35 percent of a team’s salary cap. He became eligible by being named the Defensive Player of the Year twice and making the All-NBA team. While previous reports indicated he would be willing to take less than the supermax, Porter Larsen of ESPN 700 says Gobert has asked for supermax money and is taking a strong stance.
So far:
– Rudy Gobert asked the Jazz to fulfill the supermax contract he is eligible for(35% of cap)
– Jazz responded with an offer of the normal max(28% of cap)
– Gobert's camp turned that offer down
– Two sides have 5 days to agree on an extension
— Porter Larsen (@Larsen_ESPN) December 16, 2020
The normal max extension would be 28 percent of the salary cap, so there is a significant gap between that and the supermax. It’s possible Gobert and the Jazz could settle somewhere in the middle, especially since Utah is the only team that can pay him anything close to 35 percent of the cap.
Gobert is widely considered to be one of the best centers in the game, and he is certainly an elite defender. However, calling him a supermax player is a bit of a stretch. The Jazz don’t want to lose him, but you can understand why they don’t want to pay him as much as the Milwaukee Bucks are paying Giannis Antetokounmpo.
We know of at least one team that might have interest in trading for Gobert, so that’s another option the Jazz could explore if the two sides can’t come to an agreement.
