The Utah Jazz made a surprising choice in the 2025 NBA draft by selecting Rutgers forward Ace Bailey, a talent that was expected to be a top-three pick. Bailey's pre-draft decision not to workout with any NBA teams led to speculation about his preferred destinations, which did not include the Jazz. Despite this, Utah's operations president praised Bailey's potential fit. The 6-foot-9 forward possesses valuable attributes for today's game but still has significant areas for improvement, particularly in efficiency and ball-handling.
"Bailey's pre-draft strategy had been the biggest source of intrigue... he was the only American player who... hadn't conducted a single workout with an NBA team."
"The Jazz were not among Bailey's preferred destinations... however, Austin Ainge said, 'We really like him as a player, and a fit in our program.'"
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