The Utah Jazz drafted Ace Bailey with the No. 5 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, even though he didn't want to go to Salt Lake City. ESPN draft expert Jonathan Givony reported that Utah wasn't one of Bailey's preferred destinations.
Bailey was projected to go as high as No. 3, but he slipped down draft boards after he chose not to work out for any teams before the first round on Wednesday, including Philadelphia, which selected VJ Edgecombe with the third overall pick. Many assumed that Bailey would fall out of the top five, but Utah swooped in and made the surprise pick, one that even the 18-year-old didn't see coming.
There is no doubt that Bailey is a talented player, but the question is whether he will fully buy into being part of the Jazz's future. It was a risky move by Utah, selecting someone who was at the center of the pre-draft drama. Bailey helped calm Jazz fans' fears when he said he wants to go in and "be a leader as a young cat" in Utah by putting in the work and pushing his teammates to improve.
Ace Bailey had "no idea" the Jazz wanted to draft him
Bailey has drawn comparisons to Kevin Durant, which is an absurdly high bar. It goes without saying that if he reaches that height, the Jazz won't care that Bailey didn't plan on landing in Utah. Nobody will think back to his pre-draft process and say that it was the first of many red flags. However, the reality is that although Bailey could turn into a star-level player, he could easily be a bust.
He spent only one season in college, averaging 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 1.0 steals per game, shooting 46% from the field and 34.6% from three. One of the main knocks against Bailey is that he played on a bad Rutgers team. Some believe he didn't get the adequate experience he needed before taking the next step to the next level. That wasn't enough of a concern for Utah.
It sounds like Bailey is okay with going to the Jazz. Hopefully, that doesn't change; otherwise, Utah will have quite a problem on its hands.