Will Ace Bailey report to the Utah Jazz? We finally have an answer.
The Jazz selected the Rutgers product with the fifth overall pick Wednesday in the 2025 NBA Draft, despite his declining an invitation to meet with the team. The 18-year-old Bailey also canceled a visit with the Philadelphia 76ers last week.
Bailey was the only American-based prospect not to meet with any NBA teams prior to the draft, leading him to drop from initial projections as a top-three pick.
It was initially reported that Bailey didn’t want to go to Utah and preferred the Washington Wizards at No. 6. However, a Jazz representative told ESPN’s Jonathan Givony that Bailey will arrive in Utah on Saturday.
“We’ve had good communication with Ace Bailey and his representatives,” the team representative told ESPN. “We feel good about everything. Ace and his family are coming to Utah tomorrow. We’ll have a press conference Sunday and a practice Monday.”
Teams usually hold press conferences the day after the draft ends, so the weekend timing is unusual. Red flags were raised Thursday when Omar Cooper, Bailey’s agent, wouldn’t answer ESPN’s questions about Bailey’s future with the Jazz. But Cooper defended their pre-draft strategy.
“Every NBA team watched him work out in Chicago,” Cooper said. “He did 18 interviews. Everyone got his medical. They watched him run and jump. They got his measurements.
“No one said anything when Davion Mitchell canceled a workout with the Toronto Raptors. No one criticized Evan Mobley when he didn’t work out for Cleveland, and they drafted him anyway.
“There is nothing uncommon about how Ace Bailey’s pre-draft process was handled.”
Despite the questions surrounding Bailey, he has significant upside and could develop into a star. In his only season at Rutgers, he averaged 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, one steal, and 1.3 blocks, while shooting 46% from the field and 34.6% from three.
Matt Higgins worked in national and local news for 15 years. He started out as an overnight production assistant ... More about Matt Higgins