The Utah Jazz haven’t made the playoffs since 2022, and the team has been one of the worst in the NBA the previous two seasons. Utah has won only 39 out of a possible 164 games in those two years, making tanking look like an art form. But winning wasn’t the main objective; the goal for the past half-decade has been building up a squad of young, talented players. And the Jazz just signed one of them to a long-term deal.
Keyonte George and the Jazz agreed to a five-year, $157.5 million contract extension. The deal will kick in beginning with the 2027-28 season, and it’s quite the pay raise for George. Including this upcoming season, his rookie deal will have paid him about $18.8 million over four years. The first season of this new contract will already surpass that.
The Jazz hope George can continue to be a bright spot while hopefully adding some more wins to the ledger. In 54 games last year, he posted career bests in minutes (33.1), points (23.6), assists (6.1), and steals (1.1) per game. He shot 45.6% from the field and 37.1% from three, both career highs.
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It’s the fourth-largest contract the Jazz have offered in franchise history. Only Lauri Markkanen ($238 million), Rudy Gobert ($205 million), and Donovan Mitchell ($195 million) have signed larger deals. Utah also traded for two-time All-Star Jaren Jackson Jr. in February. The Memphis Grizzlies had signed him to a five-year, $239.9 million contract in the summer of 2025. After dealing for him, Utah will be responsible for the bulk of that money.
This will likely be the first time since George’s rookie season that the Jazz are trying to compete. Alongside Markkanen and Jackson Jr., the Jazz have top 5 picks in Darryn Peterson and Ace Bailey.
As those guys are still getting their NBA legs beneath them, Utah is counting on George to lead the backcourt. If he continues to excel, the Jazz could very well find themselves back in the postseason, or at least competing for a play-in spot.
With the way the last two seasons have gone, that would be a mighty fine improvement.
