In recent days, the Utah Jazz have seen tons of conversation revolving around their plans for a new contract for big man Walker Kessler, who's slated to enter restricted free agency later next month if unable to come to an agreement in the coming days.

But another name on the Jazz's roster who's also seen a bit of buzz revolving around their next contract is Keyonte George, who's officially eligible for a rookie-scale extension this offseason, and could be due for a big payday over the summer after a breakout third season.

However, it seems like based on initial expectations, George might not be getting a new deal from the Jazz, at least not this offseason.

Keyonte George Trending Towards No Extension This Summer?

According to a recent report from ESPN's Tim MacMahon, in the midst of Kessler's ongoing contract discussions, it seems doubtful that George will be getting an extension this offseason, and may have to build upon his breakout year for the 2026-27 season in order to cash in next summer:

"Sources also expressed doubt that the Jazz would reach an agreement on a rookie contract extension with guard Keyonte George despite the franchise's optimism that he will play a key role in Utah's future after his breakout third season," MacMahon wrote.

"While the Jazz are open to extension discussions, in order to be comfortable paying George at a number approaching the rookie extension maximum, Utah's front office needs to see him build on his breakout campaign next season."

It's not a totally shocking approach for the Jazz's front office to potentially take as it concerns George's next contract.

Utah has tended to value its financial flexibility and held off on paying its young players early, at least in the case of Kessler's situation, and might be trending towards a similar approach for their budding young guard.

However, deciding to hold off could end up as a bit of a mistake from the Jazz's front office, because holding off too long could only make it tougher to retain him long-term.

Why Holding Off on Keyonte George's Next Deal Could Be a Mistake

You can at least see the logic from the Jazz's perspective when it comes to holding back from a new deal for George.

George had one good season last year after his first two were up-and-down. Seeing that continued success would provide more confidence to bet on him for the long haul, and having less money tied up into the future also does keep them more flexible financially in the short term than a new extension would.

But there's also a good bit of risk that comes with waiting on a deal rather than being proactive.

Primarily, if the Jazz are confident that George is a cornerstone of their future––which is what the landscape seems to be––there should be no reason to wait for his number to go up even further after a good season from what it would be this summer.

George had an objectively great season, even when factoring in the circumstances of the Jazz's dreary season in terms of wins and losses: he averaged career highs across the board, showed more willingness to commit on the defensive end, and even took noticeable steps forward as a leader of this young roster.

He's not even 23 years old. And based on his trajectory, there's no reason to believe that any of his production should be trending in the wrong direction.

Maybe his counting stats are a bit lower next season than they were this past year as this young roster begins to take shape, and everyone's healthy. Still, that's nothing that would steer the Jazz away from cementing him as a centerpiece of their future.

If the Jazz are truly committed to locking in George as their point guard of the future, getting him under contract on a multi-year deal now can prove that.

Bottom Line

Locking George in on a contract that could sit around $30 million a season, and perhaps even larger, does tie up a good bit of money down the line between himself, Kessler's upcoming deal, as well as Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. But that's a problem to tackle for later.

The most important piece of George's future should be that the Jazz have him onboard for the long haul. He's an All-Star-caliber guard, is only going to get better in the years to come, and waiting further into next summer to lock him under contract might only raise his price tag.

Any decision that puts his long-term future in jeopardy, such as waiting for him to have another good year, or even going to the lengths of restricted free agency in 2027, is one that Utah should try its best to avoid.

If George is amiable to it, a contract should be done by the time next season tips off. We'll see if the two sides will make it happen.

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