Keyonte George was the 16th pick in the 2023 draft. On September 18, 2026, the Utah Jazz agreed to pay him a reported $157.5 million over five years.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the deal, and the Jazz announced it hours later without terms, per the Deseret News and NBC Sports. George is 22.
The Money
The reported total works out to $31.5 million a year, per the Deseret News. That is five years, the maximum length for a rookie-scale extension, per the Deseret News. The Deseret News says it runs through the 2031-32 season.
George is paid $6.6 million this season, the last of his rookie contract, per NBC Sports. So the extension begins with 2027-28. NBC Sports describes it as starting-point-guard money.
One discrepancy: NBA insider Jake Fischer puts the value at $155 million excluding incentives, per NBC Sports. If so, the base figure ties Pistons forward Ausar Thompson’s. We use the $157.5 million that ESPN reported and flag the gap. We found no word on options, guarantees or the incentive terms.
Why Now
The deadline did the work. Without an extension, George would have been a restricted free agent next summer and could have drawn an offer sheet from another team, per the Deseret News. Signing now ends that risk.
The Jump That Paid For It
The case is one season. In 2025-26, his third year, George averaged 23.6 points, 6.1 assists and 3.7 rebounds, with a career-best 45.6% from the field, per the Deseret News. NBC Sports adds 37.1% from three, in 54 games on a tanking Jazz team. His scoring was 16.8 a game the year before.
The peak was December 12, 2025: a career-high 39 points in a 130-126 win at Memphis, including Utah’s last six points and the go-ahead jumper in the final minute, per the Associated Press recap carried by ABC News, CBS Sports and Action News 5.
NBC Sports’ Kurt Helin notes his production has improved in each of his three seasons, while perimeter defense is still a concern.
What the Jazz Said
Jazz president of basketball operations Austin Ainge, in the team’s announcement quoted by the Deseret News: “Keyonte’s leadership, growth, and commitment to what we’re building make him an integral part of this franchise’s future.”
Owner Ryan Smith, speaking the next day per the Deseret News, said: “Our best years in Utah are ahead of us, and I think it’s pretty clear.” George told reporters the extension “still doesn’t feel real” and that “If it was up to me, I want to be around forever.”
Where He Sits In The Class
By our tally in the 2023 draft class extensions ranking, his $157.5 million is the fourth-largest of seven, ahead of Ausar Thompson’s $155 million at No. 5, Cason Wallace’s $139 million at No. 10 and Brandin Podziemski’s $110 million. Only Victor Wembanyama, Brandon Miller and Amen Thompson got more. NBC Sports says George joined Wembanyama and Amen Thompson as the first of the class to sign extensions.
What We Don’t Know
There is no reliable net-worth figure for Keyonte George, and we won’t invent one. We could not confirm the contract’s year-by-year structure, guarantees or options, or whether the Fischer figure reflects the base value. For the wider context, see the 2026 Sports Contracts Tracker and the NBA salary cap explainer.
Frequently Asked
How much is Keyonte George's extension worth?
Five years and a reported $157.5 million, per ESPN's Shams Charania on September 18, 2026, as relayed by NBC Sports, the Deseret News and KUTV. That is about $31.5 million a year. The Jazz confirmed the deal but did not disclose terms. NBA insider Jake Fischer puts the value at $155 million excluding incentives.
When does the new money start?
In 2027-28. George is paid $6.6 million in 2026-27, the final year of his rookie contract, per NBC Sports. The Deseret News says the deal runs through 2031-32.
How did George earn it?
A third-season jump. He averaged 23.6 points, 6.1 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 54 games in 2025-26, up from 16.8 points a game the year before, per the Deseret News and NBC Sports, shooting 37.1% from three per NBC Sports.
Is the deal a bargain or an overpay?
Reasonable people differ. It is more than No. 5 pick Ausar Thompson's reported $155 million. NBC Sports notes his perimeter defense remains a concern.
What is Keyonte George's net worth?
No outlet this site trusts has published a reliable figure, so we don't give one. What is documented: a rookie deal paying $6.6 million this season and a $157.5 million extension that begins in 2027-28.