Following the re-confirmation that Ace Bailey and his representation were pushing for him to go to the Washington Wizards before the draft, the Utah Jazz rookie fired his manager, Omar Cooper. Doing so may sound promising at first for the Jazz, but Bailey may have very well done it because Cooper's advice got him on a team he never wanted to play for.
The Athletic's Tony Jones confirmed last night that Bailey had parted ways with Cooper not too long after his pre-draft antics didn't work out the way he wanted.
Breaking: Utah Jazz first round pick Ace Bailey is parting ways with manager Omar Cooper, League Sources tell The Athletic. Bailey, who was the No. 5 pick of the 2025 NBA Draft, is in the process of seeking new representation
— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) September 24, 2025
Given that Cooper was telling other teams not to draft Bailey because they wanted him to play for the Wizards, perhaps it's good for the Jazz that Bailey is no longer represented by him. It may very well be in the long run, but there is an argument to be made that Bailey made this move last night precisely because Cooper's approach put him on a team that Bailey did not want to play for to begin with.
Making it worse is that doing so not only led to Bailey not getting the team his representation wanted, but he also screwed himself out of making more money from his rookie deal, as VJ Edgecombe, the third overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, signed a deal worth almost $10 million more than Bailey's rookie contract.
What is indisputable is that Bailey was simply unhappy with his representation, hence the firing, but it could also imply his unhappiness with starting his career in Utah. Currently, this notion is no more than conjecture, but it could be the first indication of a potential issue moving forward.
Jazz fans should still be cautiously optimistic
With all that out there, Bailey has not had one bad word to say about Utah since the team drafted him in June. In fact, he has praised the fans for making him feel welcome shortly after he made his first public appearance in Utah. Since the draft, there have been no reports that Bailey is unhappy with his current situation. However, all the initial stink that came immediately after the Jazz drafted him is hard to ignore.
Now, perhaps all of the initial problems following Bailey's drafting by the Jazz stemmed from Cooper's side, and if that were the case, then Utah shouldn't have anything to worry about. However, Bailey has more to prove before fans can feel completely at ease about how he feels about playing for the Jazz.
Firing Cooper could signal that Bailey isn't happy with how things have turned out for him thus far, or they could signal that Bailey simply wants better direction. Nevertheless, even if this becomes a problem, it's not one the Jazz will likely have to confront for some time.