Jazz, Keyonte George Agree to Five-Year, $157.5M Extension

Keyonte George and the Utah Jazz agreed to a five-year, $157.5 million extension, terms finalized on Friday, September 18, 2026. Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon of ESPN broke the story, later confirmed by other outlets. The deal has no player or team options, averages $31.5 million a year and runs through 2031. It does not begin until the 2027-28 season. George will make $6.6 million in the final year of his rookie deal this season. Jake Fischer says the true value excluding incentives is $155 million. The terms followed months of talks between agent Jason Ranne of The Team and Jazz president of basketball operations Austin Ainge. The new deal will account for approximately 16 percent of Utah's salary cap. George is 22 and was the No. 16 pick in the 2023 draft out of Baylor. In 54 games last season for the tanking Jazz he averaged 23.6 points, 6.1 assists and 3.7 rebounds, shooting career highs of 37.1 percent from 3-point range and 45.6 percent from the floor. The Jazz envision George and Darryn Peterson as a backcourt under coach Will Hardy that also includes Lauri Markkanen.