NEW YORK — Within the first shock of the 2025 NBA draft, the Utah Jazz took a swing on drafting Rutgers ahead Ace Bailey, one of many largest skills — and mysteries — on this yr’s class.
After the Jazz took him with the No. 5 choose, Utah president of basketball operations Austin Ainge informed ESPN, “We actually like him as a participant, and a slot in our program.”
Bailey stated he had “no thought” the Jazz had been serious about drafting him. Utah additionally was not amongst his most well-liked locations, a supply informed ESPN’s Jonathan Givony within the leadup to the NBA draft.
However Bailey says he believes he’ll mesh nicely along with his new teammates.
“I really feel like as soon as I are available, it will be loads of work,” he stated. “I really feel like I am an individual that likes to work out so much. I will push my teammates to be the perfect they are often. I need to are available and be a frontrunner as a younger cat.”
The Jazz additionally landed Florida star Walter Clayton Jr., who was taken by the Washington Wizards with the No. 18 choose earlier than being traded to Utah for picks Nos. 21 and 43 in addition to second-round picks in 2031 and 2032.
Bailey’s predraft technique had been a serious supply of intrigue within the days main as much as the draft. He was projected for many of the season to be a top-three choose and entered Wednesday ranked No. 3 on ESPN’s High 100 prospects record, however he was the one American participant who, getting into draft evening, hadn’t performed a single exercise with an NBA crew.
That fueled a perception that Bailey and his camp had a most well-liked vacation spot in thoughts that was exterior of the highest 5, and consequently, he started to slip down draft projections. In ESPN’s closing mock draft, he was projected to go to the Wizards at No. 6.
Bailey was a hotly debated prospect amongst NBA groups all season. At 6-foot-9 in footwear with tantalizing shotmaking skill, he has the scale to be a giant wing, probably the most beneficial positional archetype within the league. However Bailey can be not notably environment friendly and has vital room to enhance as a ball handler and passer.
Getting into the draft, Washington checked a number of bins for Bailey, who’s from Chattanooga, Tennessee, however grew up in Atlanta. The Wizards, who’re within the midst of a rebuild, are a crew in determined want of a tentpole star, a participant who can develop into being the main scorer on a high-level crew — one thing Bailey, if he excels, is strictly suited to be.
However the Jazz, who had the NBA’s worst report final season at 17-65, are in the identical state of affairs, they usually weren’t deterred from taking Bailey simply because they did not get an opportunity to work him out.
Utah’s roster has loads of room for Bailey to function in and shall be led by one of many league’s greatest coaches in Will Hardy, who agreed to a long-term extension with the franchise this offseason. Now, the Jazz get the sort of expertise they might’ve anticipated to solely get had they moved up within the lottery final month.
Bailey stated he was glad to be completed with the draft course of.
“I am able to play some basketball now,” he stated. “It is simply been an awesome journey. Me working onerous, pushing myself bodily and mentally, simply getting ready for the subsequent degree.”
