Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers were home on Monday to face the Jazz. It was a rough game offensively from Cleveland’s all-star backcourt. Mitchell finished the game with 21 points and was 7-18 from the field.
The Cavs lost 123-112 to Utah and are now 22-19 this season. Additionally, they’ve fallen to seventh in the Eastern Conference. After the game, Donovan Mitchell showed praise for the Jazz’s young SG Keyonte George. Talking with reporters, Mitchell said George “deserves to be an all-star.”
Will Keyonte George receive all-star recognition in 2025-26?
Donovan Mitchell: I think I really want to highlight the Jazz. 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. pic.twitter.com/VVuAjKIk0c
— JP Chunga (@JP_Chunga) January 13, 2026
With the 16th pick in the 2023 NBA draft, the Utah Jazz selected Keyonte George out of Baylor. The 22-year-old is currently in his third season. George has played in 180 games and made 117 starts. In 2025-26, Keyonte George has started all 38 games he’s appeared in. His 23.8 points per game are second on the team this season to veteran forward Lauri Markkanen. This season, George’s 23.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists, and 1.0 steals per game are all new career-highs. On top of that, his .372 three-point percentage is a new personal best.
Keyonte George is having a breakout year with Utah. After their win vs. the Cavs on Monday, former Jazz SG Donovan Mitchell showed praise for George. Mitchell told the media that Keyonte George “deserves to be an all-star.” Cleveland’s all-star SG said Keyonte George is someone he knows personally, and Mitchell has been impressed with his growth from 2024-25 to 2025-26.
Keyonte George 32 PTS, 5 REB, 9 AST, 8/16 FG, 4/8 3FG, 12/12 FT, 75.2% TS vs Cavs https://t.co/l7BkNW9e5q pic.twitter.com/AFzTmVVy1L
— Basketball Performances (@NBAPerformances) January 13, 2026
In 25 of his 28 games this season, Keyone George has scored 20+ points for the Jazz. He’s been a legitimate second option, sometimes the first option for the team offensively. The 22-year-old has scored 30+ points 10 times this season. Keyonte George has simply taken his game to another level for the Jazz. Utah head coach Will Hardy was impressed with George’s 25-point second half on Monday to help the team beat Cleveland.
After that win, the Jazz are 14-25 in 2025-26. That is 13th of 15 teams in the Eastern Conference. While Donovan Mitchell believes Keyonte George deserves to be an all-star, it’s not that simple. Keyone George is not a household name across the NBA. He’s still a relatively new player to the average NBA fan.
With that, George hasn’t gained any traction in all-star voting. Lauri Markkanen is the only Jazz player in the top 20 as of January 6. It’s difficult for a team like the Jazz to have multiple all-star selections in the same year. Utah is one of the smaller markets in the NBA, and they are a bottom-six team. It could take time for Keyonte George to earn his first all-star selection.
