Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Ace Bailey arrives earlier than the primary spherical of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Middle. Necessary Credit score: Brad Penner-Imagn Photos Confounding to some and complicated to others, the pre-draft place of prime prospect Ace Bailey moved to the rear-view mirror as he prepares for skilled basketball life with the Utah Jazz.
Utah chosen Bailey fifth total on Wednesday, a call that Jazz president of basketball operations Austin Ainge mentioned was very simple regardless of public concern concerning the Rutgers ahead refusing to work out for groups earlier than the 2025 NBA Draft.
“We do numerous background calls and work on guys and everybody loves being round Ace,” Ainge mentioned. “He is enjoyable, smiles every single day. Only a breath of recent air within the health club. We had been in a position to communicate with him. He was tremendous excited. We’re tremendous excited. We’re anticipating a really shiny future.”
No. 2 total choose Dylan Harper (San Antonio Spurs), Bailey’s school teammate at Rutgers, described him because the lifetime of the locker room in New Jersey. The Tennessee child raised in Atlanta was the No. 2 highschool prospect behind Cooper Flagg coming into school. Earlier than pre-draft posturing modified the equation, many felt Bailey could be in San Antonio as an alternative of Harper.
Bailey mentioned he is able to concentrate on the sport on the courtroom after a enterprise into the enterprise facet {of professional} hoops earlier than the draft.
“I am very younger. I am simply coming to the sport, so there’s numerous stuff I can enhance, bodily and mentally,” Bailey mentioned. “I imply, from soar photographs to extra creativity, to extra ballhandling, simply everywhere.”
Ainge mentioned the Jazz had been drawn to Bailey’s offensive sport and athleticism as a lot as potential to be a lockdown defender.
“He is very expert for his dimension. When watching movie on him, I used to be impressed together with his defensive effort and specifically his rebounding. Numerous weakside blocked photographs,” Ainge mentioned.
Bailey, 18, was certainly one of two gamers to landed with the Jazz within the first spherical. Florida level guard Walter Clayton Jr. was acquired in a commerce with the Washington Wizards.
Ainge mentioned the Jazz sat down earlier this month and tried to ascertain what the right draft night time would possibly appear to be. With Spherical 1 within the books, Ainge mentioned the Jazz, who completed with the NBA’s worst file final season however fell to No. 5 total within the lottery, hit the jackpot.
“We sat down and checked out our picks and mentioned, ‘What could be the very best case state of affairs?’ And these had been the 2 guys we actually needed,” Ainge mentioned. “We really feel very lucky and are excited to have them within the household.”
–Discipline Stage Media
