In a 123-112 road victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, Donovan Mitchell, who spent five seasons with Utah, did not hesitate to praise young Jazz guard Keyonte George.

"I really want to highlight the Jazz," Mitchell said postgame. "They came in there and just outplayed us. It started with Keyonte George who deserves to be an All-Star. A young fella that I know personally, and I'm excited to see his progress just from last year to this year."

That progress is quite something.

George then joined Malika Andrews on NBA Today and said, “From day one, he really showed that he was invested in my development. For him to go out to the media and say those types of things, I can’t ask for more.”

Earlier this month, George became just the third player under 23—joining Michael Jordan and Luka Dončić—to average 29 points, seven assists and 65% true shooting over a 10-game span, according to Matthew Coles of AP News.

So, will Keyonte George make the All-Star Game this year?

With other star guards in the West, including Dončić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Edwards, it’s unlikely, but his performance this season can’t be ignored.

Per StatMuse, Keyonte George is 13th in scoring among Western Conference players, while Lauri Markkanen ranks seventh.

What this means going forward

Thanks to a scorching start from the dynamic duo of Markkanen and George, the Jazz, who won just 17 games last season, have already reached 14 wins this year. They have done so despite losing starting center Walker Kessler for the season.

Jusuf Nurkić has stepped up admirably in Kessler’s absence, averaging 30 minutes per game—second only to Markkanen and George—while posting a double‑double with 10.4 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.

Utah is 2-5 in the new year, but George is averaging 19.5 points while shooting 45% from the field, 35% from 3 and 93% from the line in six of seven games so far in 2026. Halfway through January, with 10 games still remaining, the Jazz are on pace to surpass last year’s January record of 3-12.

As of now, according to Tankathon, the Jazz have a 7.5% chance at the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, compared with the Hawks (via New Orleans), Pacers and Kings, who are all tied at 14%.

That puts Utah in a tricky position. The Jazz’s own first-round pick is top‑8 protected and will go to Oklahoma City if it falls 9‑30. They also hold swap rights with Minnesota and Cleveland, allowing them to exchange their pick for a higher first-round selection if either team ends up with a better position in the draft.

Jeremy Woo of ESPN projects the Jazz will select Kingston Flemings of Houston with the No. 5 overall pick. Woo writes, “The emergence of Keyonte George as a most improved contender—and the presence of other young guards on the roster—shouldn't preclude the Jazz from taking a long look at a true point guard in this scenario.”

In a draft headlined by top prospects Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, and Cameron Boozer, the young, rebuilding Utah Jazz are likely eager to land a lottery pick to pair with their core of Markkanen, George, and a healthy Kessler for the 2026-27 NBA season.