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Jazz Extend Keyonte George With $157.5M Five-Year Deal

By Drooid · Sep 18, 2026, 10:56 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Jazz Sign George

Utah Jazz signed guard Keyonte George to a five-year, $157.5 million extension.
The Friday-finalized deal includes no player or team options and equals about 16% of the Jazz’s salary cap.
George, 22, averaged 23.6 points, 6.1 assists, 45.6% field goals and 37.1% three-pointers last season.
The contract runs through 2031-32, with Jazz aiming to accelerate a championship push after a rebuild and a $500,000 fine.

Summary

George Blocked Coaching

George nearly became a volunteer assistant coach this summer before the NBA blocked the arrangement.
He joined owner Ryan Smith, coach Will Hardy, and Jaren Jackson Jr. at a Finland training camp with Lauri Markkanen.
Fans hailed George as the Jazz’s top star, calling him the league’s most underrated player.
Another fan described the contract extension as a rare win-win for all parties.
Will Hardy said the extension allows him to focus on building chemistry among the core players.

History

Historical Context

In 1995, after leading the Bulls to a 72-10 record—the best season in NBA history then—Michael Jordan secured a landmark contract that set new salary-cap benchmarks. In 2024, the Utah Jazz signed guard Keyonte George to a five-year extension that consumes a sizable share of the cap, echoing Jordan’s deal and showing teams now routinely allocate a large payroll portion to stars.

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Jazz Sign George

Utah Jazz signed guard Keyonte George to a five-year, $157.5 million extension.
The Friday-finalized deal includes no player or team options and equals about 16% of the Jazz’s salary cap.
George, 22, averaged 23.6 points, 6.1 assists, 45.6% field goals and 37.1% three-pointers last season.
The contract runs through 2031-32, with Jazz aiming to accelerate a championship push after a rebuild and a $500,000 fine.

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