Ahead of the 2025 NBA draft, Ace Bailey‘s representatives told a team with a top-five pick that they didn’t want that club to draft him and that he wouldn’t report to the club if it selected him, sources tell Jonathan Givony and Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
ESPN’s report doesn’t name the specific team in question, but it seems relatively safe to assume it wasn’t the Mavericks or Spurs, who were always locked in on Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper, respectively. That leaves the Sixers at No. 3, the Hornets at No. 4, and the Jazz – the team that ultimately drafted Bailey – at No. 5.
While it’s unclear if the Jazz were the team out of those three told not to draft Bailey, an earlier report from Bontemps indicated Utah wasn’t on his list of preferred destinations.
Bailey, a former Rutgers wing, made waves leading up to Wednesday due to his unusual approach to the pre-draft process. He canceled a scheduled visit to Philadelphia last week and was believed to be the only prominent U.S. player who didn’t visit any team before the draft.
That strategy led rival teams to speculate that his camp was angling to get him to a specific destination – possibly the Wizards at No. 6 – but Bailey’s agent Omar Cooper contended that there wasn’t anything unusual about his client’s pre-draft activities, according to Givony and Bontemps.
“Every NBA team watched him work out in Chicago,”Cooper told ESPN. “He did 18 interviews. Everyone got his medical (info). 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.”
Although Cooper declined to answer questions from ESPN about the Jazz specifically, Bailey suggested on draft night that he wasn’t trying to steer himself to a certain destination, per Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic.
“No, I’m just focused on the basketball part. I had nothing to do with that,” Bailey said, adding that he’s learning about the Jazz and preparing to travel to Utah for the first time. “… I fit in good because we all young, so we all got a lot to learn. We can play with each other, get to know each other, how we play, how we fit in, what works, and then also, I don’t know a lot about Utah, but I’m learning as we go. I know it’s cold and it’s hot. It get cold and it get hot here. Gotta find me a place with a good a good heater.”
Bailey also made it clear that he has big-time goals for his first NBA season in 2025/26.
“I definitely want to win Rookie of the Year,” he said, according to Vorkunov. “Definitely want to be an All-Star my rookie year. I want to do a lot.”
As more of these stories begin to leak out, the more unlikeable this kid becomes. It sounds like he’s scared of other talented players that will out shine him.
Seems there might be something concerning about this guy, but it isn’t being scared of other talented guys around… he teamed with Harper at Rutgers. He might have a bad attitude, but I think your take misses the mark.
Yea a guy who wants to excel and be the best….huge red flag there!
It didn’t really matter if he didn’t want to go to Utah. Utah had to take him, they have a need at almost every position. He’s there for a while now anyway. Top 3 value for the 5th pick. He can get his shot off from inside a phone booth and he should able to play good defense.
What an entitled brat. I would draft him out of spite just to lock him up from any other teams. If he’s like this now can you imagine if he ever becomes a star in the league?
You would jeapordize your organization’s season just to spite an 18 yr old kid? Lol
Hahahaha yeah i am mr petty. Didnt say i was right, just said that’s what i’d do.
Better to let an 18 year old dictate to the nba and the Jazz what he and isn’t going to do?
What is he dictating exactly? He didn’t decide which team would draft him, only where he wanted to work out. If a team lets that influence their decision or not it is on them.
I bet you think he shouldn’t be able to pick what he wants to eat either. Or that he should be forced to wear a uniform…
Yeah, definitely makes one “entitled” if they want a say in where they live and work for the next 4 years.
Or, 18 year old kid doesn’t want to be under developed by the franchise that has underdeveloped
Cody Williams
Isiah Collier
Brian Sensabaugh
Taylor Hendricks
Keynote George
Trey Lyles
Dante Exum
Rodney Hood
Their last real big star was Donovan Mitchell who wanted out. Prior to that it was Gordon Hayward
Jazz have really struggled to draft and develop guys going on 15 years now.
Can’t blame a kid for looking at 15 years of history of a team and think I might want to look elsewhere esp a team where I’m going to get minutes
Jazz are so loaded with young guys it’s almost too many cause how is
George Bradley Collier Sensabaugh Sexton Clarkson going to share minutes
Bailey not Bradley
Um, ok. Cherry pick much? Not one of those guys you listed with the exception of Exum was expected to be a great player.
“Underdeveloped”? Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier, Brice Sensabaugh, Taylor Hendricks and Keyonte George are waaayyy to young to have any perspective of what kind of player they may turn out to be.
Let’s take a look at where theee successful picks. Gobert, Hayward and Mitchell all ended up being in the top 3 of their respective draft class yet only Hayward was drafted in the top 10. They didn’t draft Kessler but he’s played his entire professional career in Utah and so far he’s amongst the top 5 players in his class. Most teams would love to get 4 good players in 10 years while picking in the low lottery to mid 20’s every season.
Rutgers basketball was 15-17 the year before Bailey & Harper got there and then went 15-17 with them. If I had to bet on or the other I’d bet on Harper reaching his potential and Bailey being a complete bust.
Played zero minutes in the league and the media are already talking for him. Ace getting his welcome to the league moment early. Get use to it.
JAZZ fans are hoping that the lesser Ainge consulted with pops first, when he drafted this kid.
Otherwise, it’ll be a longer climb to relevancy.
Just glad the Sixers didn’t draft him.
Utah drafted Bailey. Suck it up, report and sign your $40 million contract. It is the draft. You don’t dictate where you go. Bailey isn’t above the game
I wouldn’t play for Utah either if I was Bailey. They are a trash team with no future.
The draft is antiquated. The players should be allowed to sign anywhere they want for whatever someone is willing to pay. The structure exists to keep young labor relatively cheap. If I was him, I’d be pissed I couldn’t pick the spot I want for whatever reason I want.