It was a long, complicated road to the NBA draft for Ace Bailey, but now he finally has a team: the Utah Jazz.
The Jazz selected Bailey as the fifth pick in the draft, surprising many people, including him.
Speaking to the press, via Bleacher Report, Bailey said he had no idea the Jazz wanted him, but he sounded excited and ready to get started.
Ace Bailey says he had “no idea” Jazz were going to draft him 5th overall
He declined to workout for them during the pre-draft process ?
(via @JakeLFischer) pic.twitter.com/8oNpZ1oBl7
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 26, 2025
Bailey has been one of the biggest question marks of this year’s draft.
He was the only American player to not participate in any workouts, and he was very demanding about where he wanted to play.
In fact, he had said that the Jazz were not one of his preferred destinations.
That ultimately didn’t matter because the team saw something that they liked in Bailey, and they were willing to take a risk with him.
He might pan out, or he could be a mistake, but they are willing to find out.
Bailey has strong shotmaking abilities and is known for his size.
But he also has room to improve, so the Jazz will want to take their time developing him.
Bailey had stated that he wished to play for a team that would give him a starting role right away.
Is that what he will get in Utah, or will it take time before he’s leading the team?
He sounded excited on Wednesday night, even if he was surprised.
Now starts the hard work that may or may not lead to a long and fruitful NBA career.
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