Gobert Jumps Curry, Trails Giannis, Westbrook for NBA's Top Contracts in History

Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert is set to sign the third-largest contract in NBA history, a five-year, $205 million deal that will trail only those of the Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo and Washington Wizards' Russell Westbrook.

ESPN's Bobby Marks provided a look at the five biggest contracts in total base value:

Gobert discussed what the contract means to him with ESPN's Tim MacMahon.

"It means that they believe in me," Gobert said. "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."

The 28-year-old two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year could have requested a supermax extension, which would have allowed him to tie Antetokounmpo atop the all-time list, but he told MacMahon he wanted to give the Jazz some financial flexibility:

"For me, my goal is to always win a championship. 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.

"I want to win, and I feel like leaving this money on the table for the team just to be able to have better talent around me and Donovan was really important. I want to win, and I believe in this group and I believe in this organization, and I was willing to leave that money on the table for them."

The new deal will go into effect next season after he completes his previous four-year, $102 million contract.

Gobert was a limited contributor across his first three NBA seasons, but he's since developed into one of the league's most efficient two-way producers.

The two-time All-NBA Third Team selection has averaged 14.7 points, 12.6 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 1.5 assists while shooting 66.3 percent from the field in 286 games across the past four seasons. He ranked 10th among all players in ESPN's Real Plus-Minus during the 2019-20 campaign.

While Gobert is rarely mentioned in discussions about the NBA's best players, his numbers suggest he belongs in that conversation. That's especially true since he's continued to make a major impact at a time when the league is shifting away from traditional centers.

The Jazz clearly realize his value to their franchise and made him one of the highest-paid players in NBA history as a result.

Utah opens the regular season Wednesday when it visits the Moda Center to take on the Portland Trail Blazers.