Jazz guard Keyonte George reportedly agrees to 5-year, $157.5 million extension

With the 2026-27 season fast approaching, Utah Jazz point guard Keyonte George is reportedly finally reaping the benefits of his breakout 2025-26 campaign.

After months of offseason negotiations, George's representation struck a deal with Jazz president of basketball operations Austin Ainge, according to ESPN's Shams Charania , who reported Friday alongside Tim MacMahon that George has agreed to a five-year, $157.5 million rookie-scale extension. It will account for approximately 16% of the franchise's salary cap and doesn't include player or team options, per ESPN's report , and will kick in ahead of the 2027-28 season.

The 22-year-old Baylor product, whom Utah selected 16th overall in the 2023 draft, is coming off the best season of his young NBA career. He averaged a career-high 23.6 points and 6.1 assists for a Jazz franchise that's now primed for a leap toward playoff contention.

Last season, however, Utah posted a 22-60 record. Although the Jazz won five more games than they did the season prior, they were notably fined $500,000 in February for what league officials deemed "conduct detrimental to the league." At the time, Utah was penalized for roster-management decisions that the NBA concluded prioritized draft position over winning, namely the early removal of stars Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. in a pair of games that month.

The Indiana Pacers , accused of violating the NBA's player participation policy, received a similar punishment back then, as the league decried what's colloquially known as "tanking."

Regardless, the Jazz wound up with the No. 2 overall pick in this year's NBA Draft and took Kansas guard Darryn Peterson , who shined in Summer League action after a tantalizing yet turbulent season with the Jayhawks that was marred by cramping issues .

The Jazz will be able to pair Peterson with George in their backcourt this season. Together, they'll help make up a nucleus that also features Markkanen, Jackson and 2025 No. 5 overall pick Ace Bailey , a 20-year-old forward.

George started all 54 games he played in last go-round. He took his game to the next level in Year 3. After back-to-back seasons with a 39.1% field-goal percentage, he bumped that clip to 45.6%. In the process, he shot a personal-best 37.1% from deep.

"We were very happy with the big jump Keyonte made," Ainge said at the end of last season, per The Salt Lake Tribune . "And I think that he even has more to go. I think there are more steps he can take. Obviously, no one peaks at 22, so we think he has even more to grow."