Sources – Ace Bailey’s reps instructed workforce in high 5 to not decide him

NEW YORK — Main as much as the NBA draft, Ace Bailey’s representatives knowledgeable a workforce drafting inside the highest 5 they did not need that workforce to pick out the Rutgers wing, and that he would not report in the event that they did, sources instructed ESPN.

Bailey, whose pre-draft technique had been one of many largest storylines coming into this yr’s draft, wound up being taken — in a shock — by the Utah Jazz with the fifth general choice, a workforce Bailey did not work out for and that the No. 3 general prospect on ESPN’s high 100 checklist mentioned he wasn’t even positive knew was enthusiastic about him.

“I can management what I can management,” Bailey mentioned, when requested Wednesday night time after being drafted what to say to individuals who did not consider he was joyful winding up with the Jazz. “They really feel how they really feel.

“However my workforce and me, me specializing in basketball and them doing what they’re doing, so it occurs.”

For his half, Omar Cooper, Bailey’s agent, pushed again on the notion that something they did in the course of the course of was exterior of the traditional course of enterprise.

“Each NBA workforce watched him work out in Chicago,” Cooper instructed ESPN. “He did 18 interviews. Everybody acquired his medical. They watched him run and bounce. They acquired his measurements.

“Nobody mentioned something when Davion Mitchell canceled a exercise with the Toronto Raptors. Nobody criticized Evan Mobley when he did not work out for Cleveland, they usually drafted him anyway.”

“There’s nothing unusual about how Ace Bailey’s pre-draft course of was dealt with.”

Cooper declined to handle questions in regards to the Utah Jazz or Bailey’s future with the franchise.

The way in which Bailey, a projected top-three decide for a lot of the season, and his workforce managed the draft course of indicated to rival groups that that they had a most popular vacation spot in thoughts — with, for a lot of, that vacation spot being the Washington Wizards with the sixth general decide.

Washington had landed Alex Sarr with the second general decide final yr after he selected to not work out for the workforce with the primary choice, the Atlanta Hawks, and the Wizards had the form of roster, with an open gap on the wing for a participant with Bailey’s skillset, to step into.

However coming into the draft, no workforce had rival groups guessing extra about what they have been as much as than the Jazz, with their plans underneath lately employed president of basketball operations Austin Ainge being saved firmly underneath wraps.

It turned out, although, that these plans have been to draft Bailey, giving Utah — which had the league’s worst report however wasn’t one of many 4 groups to have their ping pong balls chosen in final month’s NBA draft Lottery, sliding all of them the way in which right down to fifth — an opportunity at a expertise they would not have been anticipated to have the ability to get with the fifth decide for many of the season.

“He is nice,” Ainge instructed reporters of Bailey in Salt Lake Metropolis on Wednesday night time after drafting each Bailey and Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr. “We have been in a position to converse with him. He was tremendous excited. We’re tremendous excited. We’re anticipating a really vibrant future.

“His scoring will get numerous consideration, [and] deservedly so. He is very expert for his measurement. However watching numerous movie on him, I used to be impressed together with his defensive effort and significantly his rebounding. Lot of weak aspect block photographs, and his pleasure and vitality for the sport.

“We do numerous background calls and work on guys, and everybody loves being round Ace.”

Jonathan Givony is an NBA draft professional and the founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a non-public scouting and analytics service utilized by NBA, NCAA and Worldwide groups.