As it turns out, the Philadelphia 76ers very nearly found themselves stuck in a ugly and unenviable position.
During the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, fans and pundits alike remained divided on what the 76ers were gearing up for. They was a lot of variability as to what the front office decides to do with the third overall pick. But in a mildly surprising manner, the team eventually tamed their usual aggression and went with the safest route in the draft.
Daryl Morey and his cohorts settled the dust by making a pretty straightforward decision, taking VJ Edgecombe with pick No. 3 and foregoing the chance the draft Ace Bailey, who ultimately landed in an unexpected landing spot — the Utah Jazz.
Now, the Jazz seem to be already reeling from the effects of their draft night shocker as the 18-year-old continues to wreak havoc with his brow-raising antics. In fact, it looks like he and his camp have even taken things up a notch.
The 76ers did very well avoiding Ace Bailey and his controversial antics
Bailey definitely did not looked very pleased when the Jazz swooped in and took at No. 5. After all, his representation had prepared for the strong possibility that he lands in either New Orleans, Washington, or Brooklyn. Of course, he also exhibited strong derision with the thought of getting drafted by the 76ers.
And it only gets worse, so it seems. According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Bailey and the Jazz have had “minimal” contact since the draft ended. In fact, the incoming rookie has not yet even landed in Utah, which is pretty unconventional with most rookies flying over to their new ball clubs as soon as the day after the draft.
That is just lame maneuvering on the part of Bailey, especially if he is willingly allowing his representation to take these preternatural steps. This seems to be an effort to commence a holding out with the Jazz, which has never been seen before from a rookie who just got drafted.
The 76ers fortunately rid themselves of such a huge stressor. The franchise cannot afford to take in headaches at this point in time, and the difference between Bailey and Edgecombe, especially off the court, has been off the charts.
Screw high ceilings. The Philadelphia 76ers made the right decision, and the Jazz better take decisive action to make Ace Bailey act like a professional basketball player.
But anyhow, this is not within the 76ers’ domain anymore.