NBA Draft insider: Ace Bailey did not have Utah Jazz on list of 'preferred destinations'

In the lead-up to the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, there were questions about Ace Bailey late in the pre-draft process. He did not work out for any teams, which led to speculation about where he could end up.

Ultimately, the Utah Jazz selected him with the No. 5 overall pick. However, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony said the franchise was not one of the former Rutgers star’s “preferred destinations.”

Givony said the sense was Bailey was hoping to make it to either the Washington Wizards, New Orleans Pelicans or Brooklyn Nets – all of which picked after the Jazz. However, he pointed out the situation Bailey is walking into in Utah, which is in need of a jumpstart.

“Ace Bailey did not work out for a single NBA team. He’s the only U.S. prospect that declined to do so,” Givony said on the ESPN broadcast. “This was not one of his preferred destinations – Utah. He was hoping to get to either Washington, New Orleans or Brooklyn. The Utah Jazz selected Ace Bailey knowing that.

“This is a little bit of a stunner, but if you think about it, this is an outstanding place for Ace Bailey. They have a wide-open wing situation, they have a huge need for a star, they have an outstanding coaching staff. I think Ace Bailey is going to recover from this very quickly and realize he landed in an outstanding situation with the Utah Jazz. It just shows you, there’s only so much an agent can control in this process. If an NBA team decides they’re going to take Ace Bailey, that’s exactly what happened. This is the first move that Austin Ainge has made as a head decision-maker in the NBA, and it’s a big one.”

Bailey put together a huge freshman season at Rutgers, where he played alongside fellow lottery pick Dylan Harper. He averaged 17.6 points while leading the Scarlet Knights with 7.1 points and 1.3 blocks per game and heads into Wednesday night as one of the most intriguing prospects on the board, according to On3’s James Fletcher III.

“Ace Bailey has run away with the title of most polarizing prospect in the NBA Draft this season, with a huge gulf in opinions,” Fletcher wrote. “The shot-making ability is undoubted, but questions about his overall efficiency and ability to play within the construct of most professional schemes leave some worried. While there is a tempting upside, there is also a floor which losers the overall value.”