Jazz executive calls out unfair narrative about Ace Bailey

It's been a while since there were any whispers of Ace Bailey not wanting to be part of the Utah Jazz. It didn't take long for that narrative to be disproved, nor did it take long for Jazz fans to let Bailey know they're excited to have him. If that's not enough, a Jazz executive revealed that it was never real, and the Jazz are both excited and relieved to have him.

While talking with Spotrac's Keith Smith, a Jazz executive gave the full scoop on how Ace Bailey and the Jazz feel about each other. In short, it's all smiles from everyone.

“When Ace was on the board at our pick, it sure took a lot sting out of dropping in the lottery. All the stuff about him pre-draft and not wanting to come to Utah, that was all just nonsense. He’s excited to be with us, and we’re thrilled to have him,” the executive told Smith.

And since then, Bailey has only fueled the excitement around him. He only appeared in two Summer League games, but two was enough for Bailey to show exactly what the Jazz didn't even hesitate to add him.

Bailey might not have the same success at first when he starts his NBA career in October, but he's shown enough that the Jazz have no reason to think that they made a mistake picking him. It's definitely not a guarantee, but Bailey has the potential to be the Jazz's next franchise player.

Something else the executive said also rings true.

Drafting Bailey erased the Jazz's bad lottery luck

Before they got their hands on Bailey, many took issue with how badly things turned out for Utah when the lottery happened. After doing everything they could to get the No. 1 pick, they failed to snag it and they got the worst possible outcome.

That left many wondering what exactly the Jazz were going to do. They avoided all-out tanking in 2023 and 2024, and then when they finally did, it got them the worst results possible. For a month and a half there, many were uncertain about what Utah's best route was.

Bailey being there at pick number five undid all of that. He was talented enough to be the obvious pick at No. 5, and it's been clear for some time that Utah made the right call. Even if Bailey stutter steps in his rookie season, that won't deter anyone from believing he is the future.

There were a lot of questions about the Jazz's future, and while they will still be among the worst teams in the NBA next season, there's a lot more optimism now than there was a year ago. It wouldn't have been possible without Ace Bailey.