Feb 22, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) reacts to a play against the Houston Rockets during the first half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

'He Could Find Better Growth Environment Elsewhere' – Utah Jazz Urged to Trade Rising Star Due to Backcourt Logjam

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics | By Jordan Samar | Last updated Aug 25, 2025 7:28 AM ET

Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report recently floated the idea of the Utah Jazz trading Keyonte George away in his latest column, as he suggested that George might be stagnating with the franchise.

“While this isn’t a call for George to shy away from competition, it’s certainly worth wondering if his standing within the organization has shifted. There’s also a worry about the effects this tank-heavy rebuild is having on him. The developmental reps are probably fun, but you worry about bad habits forming and frustration getting the better of him,” Buckley wrote.

“If George needs to mature, he could find a better growth environment elsewhere. He’d log fewer minutes on a contender, but he might develop better habits and perhaps find his calling as an instant-offense reserve. Moving to another rebuilder maybe wouldn’t help with the frustration, but he might find more clarity if he was more obviously part of the long-term plans,” he concluded.

Mar 18, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) and Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) react to a play during the first quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

George’s numbers improved with the Utah Jazz last season, averaging 16.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 5.6 assists on 39.1 percent shooting from the field across 67 regular season appearances.

Utah Jazz’s sophomore swingman predicted to take a big step in 2025-26

NBA.com’s Steve Aschburner recently listed Utah Jazz guard Cody Williams as one of the top second-year players to watch this upcoming season because of his huge upside.

Nov 16, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Utah Jazz forward Cody Williams (right) defends against Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (left) during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

“Any pressure on Williams to perform big as Utah’s lottery pick was released when fellow rookies Isaiah Collier (No. 29 overall) and Kyle Filipowski (No. 32) carved out bigger roles. But the potential the Jazz saw in Williams looms larger after his brother Jalen’s breakout work in the playoffs for OKC,” Aschburner wrote.

“The 20-year-old Jazz guard dialed up strong performances in Summer League — 11.7 points on 43% shooting in Salt Lake City, then 20.4 points on 46% in Las Vegas. He has embarked on a training and nutrition program to add strength to his slender frame (at 190, he gave up 30 pounds to his 24-year-old brother),” he added.