One of the biggest storylines coming into the 2025 NBA Draft was what was happening with Ace Bailey. The Rutgers wing was considered one of the best prospects in the draft, but he barely worked out for any teams in the top five and skipped out on his meeting and workout with the Philadelphia 76ers. The Utah Jazz eventually drafted him with the fifth pick in the draft.
Jazz's decision to draft Bailey was a massive shock, considering he did not work out for them during the draft process. To add to Bailey's bizarre pre-draft process, according to ESPN NBA analysts and writers Jonathan Givony and Tim Bontemps, his representatives informed a team in the top five that they did not want that team to draft him and that he would not report to team activities if they did.
“I can control what I can control,” Bailey said, when asked Wednesday night after being drafted, what to say to people who didn't think he was happy winding up in Utah. “They feel how they feel.”
“But my team and I, me focusing on basketball and them doing what they're doing, so it happens.”
Bailey's agent, Omar Cooper, pushed back on the notion that anything they did leading up to the draft was out of the ordinary surrounding Bailey.
Article Continues Below“Every NBA team watched him work out in Chicago,” Cooper said. “He did 18 interviews. Everyone got their 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.”
How Bailey and his representatives handled the process made many think they were aiming for a specific destination, most likely the Washington Wizards at the sixth pick. The Wizards had a key opening on the wing that would have fit perfectly for Bailey. However, the Jazz had different plans.
The Jazz kept their plans quiet until draft day, and they lucked out by selecting Bailey at fifth, despite Bailey being a projected top-three prospect most of the draft process. The Jazz had the worst record in the NBA at 17-65, but missed out on the top three due to the lottery.
However, despite falling out of the top three, the Jazz picked Bailey, who was massive for them. The Jazz also picked Florida Gators hero Walter Clayton Jr. to round out the first round. Despite the confusion, Bailey stands to benefit in Utah.
