Two years ago, during the NBA trade deadline, the Utah Jazz traded Mike Conley to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Some might argue the Jazz haven’t recovered at the point guard position since.
However, after landing Keyonte George with the 16th overall pick during the 2024 NBA Draft, the Jazz feel good about where things are with their point guard future.
Seeing George earn NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors justifies Utah’s confidence in their 20-year-old floor general. Especially since he was the only point guard to earn first or second-team honors in 2024.
While those accolades were awarded after George’s season was over, there was a time before the NBA trade deadline when one team was interested in trading for the 6-foot-4 guard from Baylor.
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Utah Jazz didn’t want to trade Keyonte George for Atlanta’s Dejounte Murray
According to KSL Sports’ Ben Anderson, the Utah Jazz had a chance to land Atlanta Hawks All-Star combo guard Dejounte Murray before the trade deadline. Yet, Utah didn’t show interest once the Hawks asked for George.
“I will tell you that there was some talk about Dejounte Murray to the Jazz at the trade deadline and it was going to cost the Jazz Keyonte George and the Jazz said no.”
Utah Jazz insider Ben Anderson of KSL Sports
Before the NBA Draft tipped off, many viewed Scoot Henderson as the best point guard prospect in the class, yet George put up comparable numbers to the third overall pick as a rookie.
| PPG | APG | FG% | 3PT% | |
| Keyonte George | 13 | 4.4 | 39.1% | 33.4% |
| Scoot Henderson | 14 | 5.4 | 38.5% | 32.5% |
Besides, Murray is seven years older than George. He’s also much more expensive, earning $25.4 million in 2024-25, compared to George’s $4 million cap hit next season. In other words, George may fit Utah’s long-term competitive timeline more than Murray does.
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