Rudy Gobert Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Jazz Sign Rudy Gobert To Contract Extension

November 1st, 2016 at 10:26am CST by Eddie Scarito

NOVEMBER 1, 10:26am: Only $90MM of Gobert’s $102MM extension is fully guaranteed, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, who tweets that the deal features $3MM annually in incentives.

OCTOBER 31, 6:20pm: The signing is official, the team announced.

4:21pm: The Jazz and Rudy Gobert have reached an agreement in principle on a four-year, $102MM contract extension, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports. The projected average annual salary of $25.5MM is quite a leap from the $2,121,287 Gobert is earning this season. There is no word yet on whether the new pact contains any options, player or team.

By locking up Gobert now, Utah will avoid the player hitting restricted free agency next July, where he would have likely been able to land an offer sheet in the $110MM range, Wojnarowski notes. The deal is for slightly less than the max, which will save the Jazz approximately $8MM-$10MM over the life of the pact, the scribe adds. While Gobert almost assuredly preferred to reach an agreement on an extension, he would have been willing to test the waters as a restricted free agent next offseason if no deal was struck, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein (Twitter link).

Gobert was selected with the No. 27 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft and has quickly developed into one of the most intimidating rim-protectors in the game. The 24-year-old appeared in 61 games a season ago for the Jazz, averaging 9.1 points, 11.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.5 blocks in 31.7 minutes per outing. His slash line was .559/.000/.569. In three contests this season, Gobert has notched 11.0 PPG, 12.0 RPG and 2.7 BPG.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Jazz, Rudy Gobert Nearing Extension

October 31st, 2016 at 3:46pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the deadline to reach an agreement on a rookie-scale contract extension nearing, the Jazz and Rudy Gobert continue to engage in talks and the two sides are working on a potential deal, Marc Stein of ESPN.com relays (via Twitter). The two sides are closing in on a four-year, $100MM+ arrangement, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports (via Twitter).

While Gobert would almost assuredly prefer to reach an agreement on an extension, he would willing to test the waters as a restricted free agent next offseason if no deal is struck, Stein tweets. The center is on the books for a fully guaranteed salary of $2,121,287 for 2016/17 and would require a qualifying offer of $3,145,869 from Utah if no new deal was finalized by tonight’s deadline for the team to have the right o match any offer he were to receive on the open market.

The 24-year-old appeared in 61 games a season ago for the Jazz, averaging 9.1 points, 11.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.5 blocks in 31.7 minutes per outing. His slash line was .559/.000/.569. In three contests this season, Gobert has notched 11.0 PPG, 12.0 RPG and 2.7 BPG.

Latest On Extension Negotiations

October 30th, 2016 at 1:42pm CST by Will Joseph

The Thunder is negotiating extensions with representatives for Steven Adams and Victor Oladipo, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports (on Twitter). Discussions are in the $100MM range for Adams, and the $80MM range for Oladipo. Our own Luke Adams examined the extension candidacy of Adams recently, while Arthur Hill looked at Oladipo’s situation.

There’s more extension chatter as the October 31st deadline draws near:

It is still unlikely that deals for Kelly Olynyk, Mason Plumlee and Tim Hardaway Jr. will get done before the midnight deadline, Wojnarowski tweets.
The Wolves are in talks with Shabazz Muhammad and Gorgui Dieng, while the Hornets are talking about a deal with Cody Zeller, Wojnarowski relays (Twitter link). The Jazz are also in discussions with Rudy Gobert.
The Kings will extend a qualifying offer to Ben McLemore after the season, and the team is still not looking to trade him, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee tweets.

Stein’s Latest: Extensions, Jazz, Cavs, J.R. Smith

October 14th, 2016 at 12:27pm CST by Luke Adams

Within his latest piece for ESPN.com, NBA insider Marc Stein takes a look around the league to attempt to determine which players entering the final year of their rookie scale contracts are most likely to sign extensions before the October 31 deadline. As Stein points out, the uncertainty surrounding the CBA may make some players or teams reluctant to finalize a new deal that won’t go into effect until next summer, but there are still a few extension candidates worth monitoring.

According to Stein, Jazz center Rudy Gobert is viewed as the most likely candidate to be extended this month — Utah wants to lock up both Gobert and Derrick Favors to long-term deals, recognizing that securing those players could help convince Gordon Hayward to re-sign next summer. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Pistons), Gorgui Dieng (Timberwolves), and Shabazz Muhammad (Timberwolves) are also in play for potential extensions, says Stein.

Here’s more from the ESPN scribe:

It’s not clear how eager the Thunder will be to get something done with Steven Adams and/or Victor Oladipo before October 31, since the team may be enticed by the possibility of maintaining 2017 cap room, Stein notes. Oklahoma City could take the same approach the Wizards and Pistons did with Bradley Beal and Andre Drummond, respectively, waiting to extend them in order to maximize cap room. Of course, waiting until 2017 would almost certainly mean doing max deals for Adams and/or Oladipo.
As high as they are on Dennis Schroder‘s potential, the Hawks may want to see how he handles the starting point guard job in Jeff Teague‘s absence before committing to a long-term deal, Stein writes. In that case, an extension this month seems unlikely.
The Cavaliers had been offering a $10-11MM annual salary to J.R. Smith, and while it’s possible they’ve increased their offer, it hasn’t been enough to entice Smith to sign. Sources tell Stein “it’s only a matter of time” before the free agent guard starts to engage more seriously with other teams.
While they don’t have the cap room for him at this point, the Celtics‘ reported interest in Smith is genuine, according to Stein, who suggests Boston could explore moving some salary to another team in order to create space for Smith.
There are whispers that the Cavaliers have “strong interest” in bringing Mario Chalmers aboard when he’s healthy enough to play, per Stein. Chalmers, who remains on the free agent market, continues to recover from Achilles surgery.
The Jazz don’t appear inclined to add anyone to their roster as a temporary fill-in while Gordon Hayward’s broken finger heals, Stein writes.

Extension Rumors: Len, Goodwin, Wolves, Gobert

September 27th, 2016 at 10:08am CST by Luke Adams

A pair of standout players – C.J. McCollum and Giannis Antetokounmpo – have already signed rookie-scale contract extensions this offseason, but there are many more players who are eligible for those deals as they enter the final year of their respective rookie contracts. A few of those situations were addressed during media day on Monday, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights…

Suns GM Ryan McDonough said on Monday that the club has not yet engaged in extension discussions with Alex Len or Archie Goodwin, according to Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. “We want to see how it goes in training camp and preseason and then we’ll revisit it as a staff probably the last week or last 10 days of October,” McDonough said. “With players as young as those two guys are, obviously there’s some projection involved too. It’s not just what they are now but what they’re going to become over the next four or five years.”
While there were no updates from the Timberwolves on Gorgui Dieng and Shabazz Muhammad, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities tweets that the team hasn’t had “meaningful talks” with either player yet. Wolfson expects both players to reach restricted free agency next summer.
As Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune details, Rudy Gobert isn’t worried about his contract situation with the Jazz, suggesting on Monday that the season is “more important.” However, the young center suggested that he’s very much open to the idea of an extension. “Everybody knows I want to be here,” he said.

Western Notes: Gobert, Durant, Gasol

September 11th, 2016 at 10:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

A lesson from Gordon Hayward‘s free agency three years ago might affect the way the Jazz approach Rudy Gobert, writes Ben Dowsett of Basketball Insiders. Although Hayward and Utah were only a few million dollars apart in extension talks, the Jazz decided to let him become a restricted free agent. He signed an offer sheet with Charlotte that Utah eventually matched, but the shorter contract means the team lost a year of his services. Hayward is now in a position to opt out next summer. Gobert, who is eligible for an extension through October 31st, has a comparatively low cap hold and may be able to help Utah by holding off on extension talks until July. But the Jazz have to be concerned that he might sign an offer sheet before they can line up other free agents.

There’s more news from the Western Conference:

Clippers coach Doc Rivers says Kevin Durant was intrigued by the team’s offer to make him the focus of its offense, relays Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Rivers adds that the Clippers’ representatives had a good feeling after their meeting with Durant and were disappointed when he chose the Warriors. “The Celtics and us and Oklahoma [City], we all thought we were going to get Kevin Durant,” Rivers said. “I don’t have a problem with that, I really don’t. I think the players have a right. They take the risk of being free agents. A lot of guys could sign early and play it safe. A lot of these guys take a risk because of their health. Durant did that, and when we left the meeting, we thought he was coming to us. When Boston left the meeting, they thought he was coming to them. I think Golden State knew where he was going. Good for them. But you’ve still got to play the game.”
The Spurs picked up a top 10 center when they signed free agent Pau Gasol, according to A.J. Neuharth-Keusch of USA Today. Gasol is coming off an All-Star season in Chicago where he ranked fifth among centers in scoring, sixth in rebounding, first in assists and fourth in blocks. The Spurs will count on him to help fill the void left by Tim Duncan‘s retirement.

Extension Candidate: Rudy Gobert

August 25th, 2016 at 7:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The increased usage of smaller lineups, along with a greater emphasis on 3-point shooting, theoretically reduces the need for a quality center. Considering the contracts being handed out, that’s not the case.

Hassan Whiteside, despite a somewhat limited track record, was a hot commodity on the free agent market this summer. He received a max four-year extension to stick with the Heat. Joakim Noah, who lost his starting job with the Bulls and was injured the second half of last season, got a truckload of money to sign with the Knicks.

Andre Drummond, even with his free throw shooting issues, received a max five-year extension from the Pistons.

Unheralded centers such as Timofey Mozgov, Ian Mahinmi and Bismack Biyombo landed giant contracts while jumping teams.

Given those developments, Rudy Gobert shouldn’t have much trouble receiving a max contract offer — or something close to it — from the Jazz. The biggest question mark is whether Utah will decide to lock up its defensive stalwart prior to the regular season or take some risk by waiting until next summer, when Gobert can become a restricted free agent.

The two parties agreed to delay the process until the Rio Olympics wrapped up. Gobert was busy playing for Team France, then decided to stay overseas for a couple of weeks before returning to Utah late this month or in early September to get ready for the NBA season.

From a salary cap standpoint, the Jazz certainly have the freedom to hammer out an agreement by the end of training camp, the deadline for rookie scale contract extensions. One or both parties might also want to get it done before the possibility that NBA Players’ Association or the league opts out of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement. That could occur in mid-December and go into effect after the season.

Utah has just $34.3MM in guaranteed salary commitments for 2017/18, though its inclusive totals (non-guaranteed salaries, early termination options, etc.) is closer to $78.3MM. The projected salary cap for that season is $102MM.

So why would the Jazz wait to extend Gobert entering his prime years at 24 years old? The 7’1” Gobert has a modest $5.3MM cap hold. That gives the Jazz plenty of flexibility in terms of re-signing their free agents, pursuing top free agents and making trades next offseason if they hold off on Gobert’s extension.

Utah also has some major decisions regarding two of its other top players. Power forward Derrick Favors is eligible for a veteran’s extension right now. Small forward Gordon Hayward can opt out of the final year of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Hayward will almost certainly command a max salary if Utah tries to retain him.

Point guard George Hill, arguably the Jazz’s biggest addition this offseason, is entering his walk year. Hill’s current $8MM salary is well under market value for a starter and if the Jazz want to make him a competitive offer next summer, they’ll probably have to give him a huge raise.

Gobert has not been a major part of the Jazz’s offense, even as his playing time has grown the past two seasons. He’s never averaged more than six shot attempts in his three NBA seasons.

As a part-time starter in 2014/15, Gobert averaged 8.4 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. Those numbers improved slightly to 9.1/11.0/2.2 as a starter last season, though he was limited to 61 games because of injuries.

Free throw shooting is also a problem for Gobert — he’s made 58.5% of his foul shots during his short NBA career.

His value on the defensive end overshadows his offensive deficiencies. According to Basketball-Reference.com’s Defensive Box Rating, he was the league’s second-best defender (4.8) last season behind the Spurs’ recently-retired Tim Duncan (5.0). His Defensive Box Rating the previous season was even higher at 5.1, behind only the Warriors’ Andrew Bogut (5.5).

Difference makers on either side of the ball are hard to find and there’s no viable option on the roster to replace Gobert. Thus, it’s reasonable to assume he’ll be maxed out, though it’s conceivable he could give the club a little discount in order to get the extension done early. Remember, if the Players’ Association or league opts out of the CBA, the rules regarding contracts could be significantly altered.

How much could Gobert receive? According to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders, players with less than seven years of service could get a max of approximately $24MM under the projected cap of $102MM. With 7.5% raises each season, Gobert could sign a four-year extension worth approximately $107.35MM. A five-year extension could max out around $139.4MM.

That’s an awful lot of money to shell out for someone who isn’t an offensive threat or considered a franchise-type player. Having multiple players making max money severely curtails what clubs can do with their rosters, even with the recent rise in the salary cap. The Jazz might be hesitant to commit about half its cap to Hayward and Gobert, who fall short of superstar status.

Yet it’s abundantly clear that retaining Gobert will require something at or close to the max. The market for big men is as competitive as ever, whether or not teams continue to play small ball.

(Photo courtesy of John David Mercer / USA Today Sports Images)

And-Ones: Beal, Oladipo, Gasol, Gobert

August 3rd, 2016 at 10:20pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Turnover among NBA coaches has been extremely high over the past few seasons, with only four current head coaches having been with their respective teams for at least five seasons. Just this calendar year alone there have been 12 new coaching hires made, with more likely to come if some teams get off to rocky starts to the 2016/17 season. Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders ran down the coaches who are under the most pressure to perform well this coming campaign, including Alvin Gentry (Pelicans), Steve Kerr (Warriors) and Quin Snyder (Jazz).

Here’s more from around the league:

Each season there are a number of players who exceed expectations or fail to live up to the hype or their previous season’s performance. Looking ahead to 2016/17, Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders weighed in on who he believes will have bounce back seasons (ie: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Bradley Beal, Joakim Noah) and those who will disappoint (ie: Kyle Korver, Pau Gasol).
With most offseason moves now officially in the books, Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com (Insider Subscription required) broke down the teams he believes to be winners. Franchises getting high marks from the scribe include the Warriors, Celtics, Cavs and Wolves.
Teams have until October 31st to work out extensions with eligible players and Kurt Helin of NBCSports.com notes that the most likely candidates to reach new agreements prior to the deadline are Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Oladipo, Rudy Gobert, Dennis Schroder and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Jazz, Rudy Gobert To Talk Extension After Olympics

July 12th, 2016 at 8:48am CST by Luke Adams

Utah center Rudy Gobert intends to play for France in the 2016 Olympics this summer, and while he prepares for the games in Rio, he and the Jazz won’t attempt to work out a contract extension. League sources tell Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com (Twitter link) that the Jazz and Gobert’s camp have agreed to postpone extension negotiations until after the Olympics.

Gobert, who is entering the final year of his four-year rookie contract, became extension-eligible for the first time this month. He and the Jazz have until October 31 to attempt to hammer out a new deal — if the two sides can’t reach an agreement, the 24-year-old will become eligible for restricted free agency in the summer of 2017. However, Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune tweets that he thinks Gobert and the Jazz are on the same page and that an extension should get done “without much issue.”

The 27th overall pick in the 2013 draft, Gobert has developed into one of the league’s best young rim protectors, averaging 2.2 blocks and 11.0 rebounds per game during the 2015/16 season. He also chipped in on the offensive end, recording 9.1 PPG and a .559 FG%.

If the Jazz aim to be players in free agency next summer, it could make some sense to postpone an extension for Gobert until 2017 like the Wizards and Pistons did this past year with Bradley Beal and Andre Drummond, respectively. Gobert’s cap hold next summer would only be about $5.3MM, meaning Utah could keep that number on the books at the start of free agency to create some cap room before eventually going over the cap to lock up the standout center.

Of course, Washington and Detroit eventually locked up their respective restricted free agents to maximum-salary contracts, and the Jazz will almost certainly have to do the same with Gobert if they wait until the summer, since another team would be willing to make such an offer if Utah doesn’t. Extending Gobert this fall could be Utah’s only chance to get him at a price below the max, though even a modest “hometown” discount may not be in the cards, given the league-wide spending spree we witnessed earlier this month.

And-Ones: Gobert, Harkless, Pierce

July 11th, 2016 at 10:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jazz center Rudy Gobert will play for Team France in the Rio Olympics, Jody Genessy of the Deseret News reports. He’ll join new Jazz teammate, Boris Diaw, on the squad. Utah swingman Joe Ingles will play for Team Australia and point guard Raul Neto will play for host Brazil, Genessy adds. Gobert did not participate in the Olympic qualifying tournament, when France nabbed the final spot in the field of 12.

In other news around the league:

Technology industry leaders are urging commissioner Adam Silver to move next year’s All-Star Game out of Charlotte unless a North Carolina law that limits anti-discrimination protections for lesbian, gay and transgender people is repealed, according to Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press. The executives told Silver in a letter obtained by the AP that putting fans at risk of discrimination would “send a terrible message about who the NBA is and what it values as an organization.” Silver has made it clear the league needs changes to the HB2 law in order to stage the All-Star game but has not set any deadlines for when he might act, Mahoney adds.
Trail Blazers forward Maurice Harkless is in “no rush” to sign a contract, but the restricted free agent should make a decision in the next couple of days, his agent told Jason Quick of CSNNW.com (Twitter link). Harkless might accept the Blazers’ qualifying offer of just over $4MM, Quick adds. Several teams were reportedly interested in Harkless early in the free agent process, including the Wizards, Pistons, Lakers, Mavericks and Jazz, but some of those clubs have already made other commitments.
Clippers small forward Paul Pierce intends to play next season, a source close to Pierce informed Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). The 38-year-old Pierce appeared in 68 regular-season games with them last season, averaging 6.1 points and 2.7 rebounds. He also played in five postseason games.
Point guard Flip Murray is attempting an NBA comeback, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders tweets. The 36-year-old Murray, who has been playing overseas, hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since the 2009/10 season.