Jazz, Keyonte George Agree To Five-Year Extension

The deal will go into effect in 2027/28 after George earns $6.56MM in the final year of his rookie scale contract in ’26/27. It will run through the ’31/32 season and won’t include either a player or team option, per Charania (Twitter link).

According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link), the contract will feature $500K in annual incentives. Fischer suggests those $2.5MM in overall bonuses are included in the $157.5MM total, which would mean the base value of the deal is $155MM.

George, who will turn 23 in November, was the 16th overall pick in the 2023 draft. The 6’4″ combo guard immediately emerged as a rotation player for the rebuilding Jazz as a rookie and has steadily increased his production in each of his three NBA seasons.

In 2025/26, George averaged 23.6 points, 6.1 assists, and 3.7 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 33.1 minutes per game over the course of 54 outings (all starts) before missing the final month of the season due to a hamstring strain. His shooting line was .456/.371/.892.

As productive as George has become on offense, it was unclear how aggressively the Jazz would attempt to lock him up to a rookie scale extension due to his limitations on the other end of the floor. The former Baylor standout has graded out as one of the NBA’s worst defenders based on advanced stats over the past three years, with Utah ranking either 29th or 30th in defensive rating in each of those seasons.

However, the Jazz’s long-term commitment to George signals their belief in his ability to continue improving defensively, as well as their faith that he’ll fit well alongside this year’s No. 2 overall pick, Darryn Peterson. While neither George nor Peterson is a traditional point guard, Utah is said to have confidence in the duo’s ability to share ball-handling and play-making responsibilities in the backcourt.

George is the third first-rounder in the 2023 draft class to sign a rookie scale extension this offseason, joining Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama and Rockets guard Amen Thompson. Wembanyama completed a five-year, maximum-salary contract that projects to be worth $255MM, while Thompson agreed to a five-year, $208MM deal that features a 10% trade kicker.

At $155MM over five years, George will earn an average of $31MM annually on his second NBA contract, well below the projected max of $51MM per year. He could increase that average annual salary to $31.5MM by earning his bonuses.

The Jazz now have all of their franchise cornerstones under contract for at least the next three seasons. Lauri Markkanen’s and Ace Bailey’s deals expire in 2029, while Peterson’s rookie scale deal runs through 2030. Big man Jaren Jackson Jr. has three more guaranteed years left on his contract, with a player option for the 2029/30 season.