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Report: Gobert most likely to receive rookie-scale extension

Mike Stobe / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The deadline for players selected in the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft to sign extensions with their respective teams is Oct. 31, with the "Stifle Tower" one of the bigger names eligible to ink such a deal.

A majority of league insiders believe center Rudy Gobert (27th pick) of the Utah Jazz is the most likely candidate remaining to secure an extension by the end of the month, according to ESPN's Marc Stein.

Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum (four years, $106 million) and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (four years, $100 million) are the only players thus far to receive extensions.

Gordon Hayward is eligible to hit unrestricted free agency this summer if he rejects his $16.7-million player option for the 2017-18 season. Locking up Gobert could go a long way toward convincing Hayward - who recently dislocated a finger on his left hand and was subsequently ruled out for six weeks as a result - to stick around.

With the NBA and NBA players association expected to conjure up a new Collective Bargaining Agreement in the coming weeks, it remains to be seen how that will impact Gobert's decision, and that of other players in the same position.

Gobert will make $2.1 million in 2016-17 with a qualifying offer of $3.1 million next year.

He missed 21 games last season, a majority of which were due to a sprained left MCL he suffered. Nonetheless, the 24-year-old Frenchman still put up his best numbers to date in his third year in Salt Lake City, averaging a near double-double of 9.1 points and 11 rebounds (sixth in NBA) on 55.9 percent shooting, along with 2.2 rejections (third).

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