Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Ace Bailey arrives before the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Ace Bailey Reveals What He Brings to Utah Jazz

Originally posted on Utah Jazz on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated Jun 25, 2025 11:00 PM ET

The Utah Jazz made their long-awaited decision at pick five in the 2025 NBA Draft, taking a swing on Rutgers' wing Ace Bailey, one of the best talents in this year's class, along with one of the most highly talked about guys leading up to Wednesday night's first round.

However, after weeks of pre-draft buzz with Bailey, he now finds his way to the Jazz, and is seemingly confident about what he'll be bringing to his newest home in Utah.

"A leader, confidence. Hard worker," Bailey said, per The Salt Lake Tribune's Andy Larsen. "Just a player that pushes people to be the best. A very great teammate ... I'm the person that's going to push everybody to be the best they can be, even the coaches."

Ace Bailey on what he brings to the Jazz: "A leader, confidence. Hard worker. Just a player that pushes people to be the best. A very great teammate ... I'm the person that's going to push everybody to be the best they can be, even the coaches."
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) June 26, 2025

Clearly, Bailey prides himself on being a huge boost in the locker room and being the best teammate he can be– something his Rutgers' teammate and fellow draftee Dylan Harper expressed leading up to the draft as well.

And outside of his off-the-court presence, Bailey certainly has his respective appeal on the floor that's led him to being a top-five pick off the board. During his one year with Rutgers, the 6-foot-9 wing posted 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists a night while shooting 46.0% from the field and 34.6% from three in 30 games played.

Pulled from the deck, ready for the spotlight

Ace Bailey is headed to the Utah Jazz! pic.twitter.com/bXeSpMpGYX
— ESPN (@espn) June 26, 2025

He's one of the best talents in this class with some of the best potential and offensive upside available, and looks to be a major piece of this Jazz rebuild moving forward, while also finally having a chance to put the extensive pre-draft discussions around any and all workouts and preferred landing spots to bed.