Keyonte George's Jazz Extension Could Happen Sooner Than Expected

The Utah Jazz and Keyonte George could be on the verge of putting pen to paper for a new deal.

Jan 12, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) reacts after the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Heading into the 2026-27 NBA season, the Utah Jazz and their roster are pretty settled after their work done throughout the past week of free agency. They're filled out to 15 spots on the roster, have the draft in the rear-view mirror, and now have a clear picture of what this group will look like for the year ahead.

But when looking ahead to what next offseason has to offer for the Jazz, one major task on the to-do list will be to hash out a new rookie-scale extension for Keyonte George––who comes off of a breakout third season, and will be heading towards a big payday once next summer arrives.

To this point, there hasn't been much traction surrounding George netting that extension his way this summer. With George likely expecting a max contract, and the Jazz potentially wanting to see another strong season on his behalf before signing that, the expectation has been that the two sides could table those discussions until 2027.

However, it seems like the idea of an extension might not be out of the cards for George this summer just yet, based on some new intel from ESPN's Tim MacMahon.

Keyonte George, Jazz Trending Towards Extension This Offseason?

According to some recent buzz from MacMahon on The Hoop Collective podcast, he's been "informed" that there's been a bit more optimism surrounding George and the Jazz coming to terms on an extension before the 2026-27 season tips off.

"I've been telling you I didn't think that an extension would be forthcoming for Keyonte George," MacMahon said. "I was informed that, hey, there's a little bit more optimism of that possibly happening than there had been even a week or two ago. There's a chance that there could be a meeting in the middle."

Following the Jazz's decision to deal Walker Kessler in their trade with the Los Angeles Lakers, it tends to make sense that there now could be some added traction on an extension for George a bit sooner than expected.

Why the Kessler Trade Opens the Door for a George Extension

Moving off of Kessler and his next contract worth $32.5 million AAV effectively frees up a ton of space on the Jazz's future cap sheet that allows for the necessary flexibility to sign someone like George to a similarly hefty contract.

Without trading away Kessler, the Jazz would be facing a situation where four players on the roster would be making $30 million a year on their respective contracts, with two of those— Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr.— creeping above $45 million on their deals.

Now that Kessler is out of the picture, though, signing George to a long-term commitment becomes much more feasible.

That's especially so if George is willing to meet in the middle with the Jazz for the value on his second contract, rather than simply gearing up for a max deal, which would be worth 25% of the salary cap, or around five years, $251 million in total value, and $50.2 million in AAV.

Jan 24, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) dribbles the ball up the court during the second half against the Miami Heat at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There's really no question that the Jazz would love to have George around for the long-haul, either. He's coming fresh off a career-best campaign averaging 23.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 6.1 assists a night on much-improved shooting splits of 45.6-37.1-89.2.

Combine that production with the outstanding qualities he's shown as a growing leader for the Jazz on and off the floor for the past two offseasons, and his ideal timeline fit for this roster at just 22 years old, he's shown all of the signs to being a fixture of Utah's franchise for years to come.

The question now becomes how much he'll be paid on his next deal to remain with the Jazz for the foreseeable future, and when that agreement might end up coming to form.

It remains to be seen how each of those outcomes will inevitably pan out. But the idea of a George extension seems like it could certainly be in play before next season gets off and running in October.

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