Ace Bailey had some preferred destinations entering the 2025 NBA Draft, but there’s one team that he particularly was not fond of.
According to an ESPN report on Thursday, Bailey’s agents communicated to one of the top five selecting teams that he “wouldn’t report” if they picked him during the draft.
Although Bailey was largely seen as the third-best prospect, he unexpectedly dropped to the Jazz at the fifth selection, owing to an unusual pre-draft process where he opted not to participate in workouts with any teams.
He openly favored being picked by the Wizards, Pelicans, or Nets, holding picks 6, 7, and 8 respectively, and showed a lack of interest in joining the 76ers at pick 3, the Hornets at pick 4, or the Jazz at pick 5.
It’s unclear what team in the top five Bailey was planning on not reporting to, but the club was seemingly not Utah because it selected him.
“I can control what I can control,” Bailey said in response to the NBA world’s commentary surrounding his decisions and attitude leading up to draft night. “They feel how they feel.”
The 18-year-old wing out of Rutgers said after his selection that he didn’t know the Jazz even wanted him.
Though Bailey has received a lot of backlash, much of it directed at his agent Omar Cooper for his guidance.
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Cooper stood by the pre-draft process being nothing out of the ordinary.
“Every NBA team watched him work out in Chicago,” Cooper told ESPN. “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.”
Though Bailey wasn’t interested in joining the Jazz, the team didn’t look past his talent — and Bailey sounds to be warming up to heading to Utah.
“He’s great,” Jazz president of basketball operations Austin Ainge told reporters of Bailey in Salt Lake City on Wednesday night. “We were able to speak with him. He was super excited. We’re super excited. We’re expecting a very bright future.
Bailey’s Rutgers teammate Harper was perhaps the most vocal supporter of Bailey’s character, and Jazz organization likely also did their due diligence in that area.
“We do a lot of background calls and work on guys,” Ainge said. “Everyone loves being around Ace.”
