Following a controversial pre-draft process, Rutgers forward Ace Bailey unexpectedly landed with the Utah Jazz at No. 5 in the 2025 NBA Draft. Though Bailey initially appeared disappointed by the result, he later adopted an open-minded, basketball-focused approach. However, his agent, Omar Cooper, seemed uninterested in discussing his client’s new home.
Bailey entered the draft cycle as a near-consensus top-three prospect. Advised by Cooper, he reportedly didn’t work out for any NBA teams in hopes of falling to the Washington Wizards, New Orleans Pelicans or Brooklyn Nets in the six-to-eight range.
Nevertheless, Utah’s new president of basketball operations, Austin Ainge, had other ideas, as the Jazz shook up mock drafts by taking a swing on Bailey’s upside.
NBA Insiders Provide Insight Into Ace Bailey Angling To Avoid Being Top 5 Pick
On Thursday, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Tim Bontemps reported on the extent of Bailey and his camp’s desire for him to fall to one of his preferred landing spots. According to the insiders, the 18-year-old was willing to withhold his services from one top-five team.
“Leading up to the NBA draft, Ace Bailey’s representatives informed a team drafting inside the top five that they didn’t want that team to select the Rutgers wing and that he wouldn’t report if it did,” Givony and Tim Bontemps wrote.
Wow: Ace Bailey’s agent informed one top-5 team — believed to be either the Hornets or 76ers — that Bailey would not report if selected, per @DraftExpress. pic.twitter.com/yjvpUTzKfO
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 26, 2025
Even so, Cooper saw no issue with how he and his client conducted business. The agent underscored Bailey’s participation in the NBA Draft Combine and the longstanding history of players trying to influence their draft day destinations.
“Every NBA team watched him work out in Chicago,” Cooper told ESPN. “He did 18 interviews. Everyone got his medical. They watched him run and jump. They got his measurements.
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“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.”
However, Givony and Bontemps noted that Cooper “declined to address questions about the Jazz or Bailey’s future with the franchise,” seemingly hinting at his discontent.
Utah, coming off an NBA-worst 17-65 season, now adds one of the draft’s premier shot makers and a much-needed talent upgrade to its wing rotation. The 6’10” forward should receive plenty of reps on a rebuilding Jazz squad that appears a long way away from playoff contention.
If the 2025 All-Big Ten third team selectee refines his decision-making and uses his length to develop into a two-way player, the pick could be a steal for the franchise.
Across 30 outings at Rutgers, Bailey averaged 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.3 blocks and 1.6 3-pointers per game, shooting 46.0%.
