The Utah Jazz have officially confirmed how much they believe in Keyonte George. After his breakout season last year, the Jazz evidently wanted to keep him for the long haul. More than that though, the feeling was definitely mutual, as they not only agreed to an extension, but arguably a team-friendly one as well.
ESPN's Shams Charania confirmed that the Jazz have locked George into a five-year extension worth $157.5 million. This is Utah taking a leap of faith on George that last season was just the start of what should be an excellent career for George. It's actually quite impressive on his end though, because he could have held out for more.
Getting paid over $150 million is quite impressive no matter what, but we're seeing players get much more than that. George could have easily bet on himself and set his price even higher for next offseason. By taking this extension now, which in a way justifies the Jazz's earlier offseason decisions, George confirmed that he is more about legacy than he is about the money.
George made it very clear that he wants to be in Utah
It really isn't that surprising that Utah and George were able to work out an extension, and not just because of his talent. George showed his attachment to the team, from representing them at the lottery to going to the combine to evaluate who they should have taken at No. 2, to wanting to be on their coaching staff, George got his message across: he has embraced being a Jazzman through and through.
It's even more impressive knowing that he was mostly forgotten around this time last year. No one was really talking about George because his sophomore slump was that distressing to watch. To see him not only pick himself up but also truly show his loyalty to the team is a rare story the Jazz haven't typically seen.
And now they have him for the long-term, and arguably at a discounted price. In all fairness, he gets to have it both ways. George still gets paid a hefty sum to stay where he wants to be for presumably the long haul. The Jazz also don't have to confront any cap elephants in the room for now. At the very least, George could have made it tougher but he didn't.
Now, it will be on George to reward the Jazz's faith in him, but because he's hitting all the right notes over the past year, it's hard not to think this is going nowhere but up!
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