Western Notes: George, Kerr, Clippers, J. Williams

The Jazz are coming off 17- and 22-win seasons, but guard Keyonte George tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape that he’s confident about the team’s ability to make the playoffs in 2026/27. In addition to star forward Lauri Markkanen and an improving young core, George points to newcomer Jaren Jackson Jr. – who appeared in just three games after being traded from Memphis to Utah in February – and the No. 2 overall pick as reasons to be optimistic about Utah going forward.

“We get a top-two talent in the draft and get to build on the changes we made with getting Jaren,” George said. “It’s just a lot of things going right for the group right now. On paper, we are definitely a playoff team. Honestly, there is just a different versatility that we have. You got guys who can play (point guard) to (shooting guard). You got guys who play (power forward) that can move to the (center position).

“And then we got (head coach) Will Hardy. I know people know about Will. But his X’s and O’s and the way he breaks down the game for us, that’s really what gives me the confidence, honestly. Having Will and our coaches, the talent is going to take care of itself.”

George himself represents another reason to believe in the Jazz. After two up-and-down seasons to begin his professional career, the former No. 16 overall pick had a breakout year in 2025/26, averaging a career-high 23.6 points and 6.1 assists per game on a solid shooting line of .456/.371/.892. The 22-year-old believes his ceiling is higher than what he showed last season.

“I got kind of hurt towards the end, but I think I got another gear,” George told Spears. “I tell myself all the time to get better towards the end. This summer is an even bigger summer for me because of the changes we made. I have to take my game to a whole other level.”

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

• Within a lengthy, in-depth feature on Steve Kerr, ESPN’s Wright Thompson notes that the Warriors head coach had essentially decided he was going to retire at the end of the 2025/26 season before rethinking that decision last month. Thompson takes a closer look at why Kerr ultimately opted to sign a new two-year contract with Golden State and how the team’s play-in win over the Clippers factored into that decision.
• The Clippers‘ good fortune on lottery night changes their outlook going forward, according to Law Murray of The Athletic. Rather than heading into the offseason without a first-round pick, L.A. will have a top-five selection for the first time since drafting Blake Griffin first overall in 2009. According to Murray, while the Clippers have been in win-now mode for Steve Ballmer‘s entire tenure as team owner, the club likes this draft class and is “eager” to use that No. 5 overall pick rather than trading it for a veteran.
• Jaylin Williams isn’t typically one of the first few players credited for the Thunder‘s success in recent years, but he’s a valued on-court contributor and is even more highly regarded as a “glue guy,” writes Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman. “He’s a tremendous team guy,” head coach Mark Daigneault said of Williams, who will earn $7.77MM next season and has a team option worth the same amount for 2027/28. “The thing that’s always amazed me about him as a teammate is his relatability with everybody on the team. There’s literally no one that he doesn’t have a connection with, and that’s been true of every minute that he’s been here. He’s really got a gift for that, and I think it just comes down to how good of a person he is on that part.”