​From left, Austin Ainge, president of basketball operations for the Utah Jazz, Will Hardy, head coach of the Utah Jazz, and Ryan Smith, owner of the Utah Jazz, look on during a Salt Lake City Summer League game between the Utah Jazz and Atlanta Hawks at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, July 4, 2026.
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Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
The Utah Jazz have spent the past four years stockpiling draft picks and developing young talent in hopes of building a roster ready to compete for a title.But as the franchise begins to make its way out of its rebuild, a different challenge is emerging — figuring out which players are worth keeping as the price of maintaining that young core continues to rise.The team has already made a significant commitment to young franchise star Keyonte George, agreeing to a five-year, $157.5 million contract extension with the guard in September. The 22-year-old George is coming off a breakout season in which he averaged a career-high 23.6 points and 6.1 assists with career-high shooting percentages across the board, giving the Jazz another potential cornerstone to build around.Jazz president of basketball operations Austin Ainge said George’s “leadership, growth and commitment to what we’re building make him an integral part of this franchise’s future.”Locked in for years to come 🔐We’ve signed Keyonte George to a multi-year contract extension 👏#TakeNotepic.twitter.com/7ybyyM39Om— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) September 18, 2026The deal also represents an important step in Utah’s long-term roster construction. George will be under contract through the 2031-32 season, but his extension is only one part of a much larger financial picture that includes their “two best players,” Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr., and a younger group featuring Ace Bailey and this year’s No. 2 overall pick Darryn Peterson.Heading into the 2026-27 season, the franchise currently projects a total payroll of $188,400,680, which is bottom five in the league, even though it is $23,439,680 above the salary cap. With an average age of 25.1 years, Utah shares the spot for the league’s fifth-youngest squad alongside the New Orleans Pelicans, who the Jazz face Friday in the home opener.The team now has several players it hopes can become part of a competitive core. The challenge will be determining how many of them can develop into long-term pieces while leaving enough financial flexibility to add the supporting talent needed to contend in a competitive Western Conference.That is where Utah’s collection of future draft picks could become especially important.The Jazz have accumulated additional first-round selections an