May 14, 2025; Chicago, Il, USA; Ace Bailey talks to the media during the 2025 NBA Draft Combine at Marriott Marquis Chicago. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images David Banks-Imagn Images

New Report Reveals Ace Bailey's Interest in Utah Jazz

Originally posted on Utah Jazz on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated Jun 21, 2025 5:00 PM ET

Leading up to the 2025 NBA Draft, there's been a bit of interesting buzz surrounding one of this year's top prospects in Ace Bailey, and a potential fit with the Utah Jazz.

Bailey, who's seen his draft stock bounce up and down across recent weeks due to a variety of factors, has also faced some questions as to whether he'd want to be selected by the Jazz at the fifth-pick on the board, with intial intel revealing he wouldn't have interest in Utah, and others mentioning he may prefer an East Coast team opposed to a spot like Salt Lake City.

However, according to a new insider report, that might not be the reality for the Rutgers star.

Per a recent report from Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson, Bailey would not only accept a potential fit in Utah, but he'd "welcome" the opportunity to do so.

The Utah Jazz hold a top pick and have shown interest in Bailey. While some may speculate whether a quieter market like Salt Lake City would appeal to a player of his caliber, don’t buy into the noise. One source familiar with Bailey’s thinking told me he would welcome the opportunity to play in Utah and even compared his mindset to Naz Reid’s successful rise with the Minnesota Timberwolves. In other words, Bailey isn’t chasing lights — he’s chasing legacy. 'People underestimate how comfortable Ace is just being himself,' the source added. 'He doesn’t need the big city to shine."

Bailey, who was once among the talks to become a top three pick in this year's class, could inevitably be on the board for the Jazz as they land on the clock at five, leading to a fascinating call as to whether Utah would be the one to take a swing on perhaps the most polarizing top prospect available.

And while there's no question Bailey has been selective about where he's deciding to spend his workouts leading up to the draft, as he hasn't had any reported visits to date, that doesn't mean he has a lack of interest in a place like Utah–– especially for market size concerns. In fact, he seems to be one to embellish such a situation.

During his last season with Rutgers, Bailey played in 30 games to average 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, along with 1.3 steals and a block on just over 33 minutes a game. On 14 shots a game, Bailey averaged 46.0% shooting from the field and 34.6% from three.

Of course, Bailey has undeniable upside as a 6-foot-9 wing with strong shot-making ability and the chance to be a versatile offensive weapon at the next level, but he's certainly a raw prospect all things considered, and with a few red flags appearing before the draft goes down as well, it may pack on a bit of additional risk to any team making that selection atop the board.

Regardless of that risk, if he's up for grabs at five, expect the Jazz to take a long and hard look at being the ones to try for that home run.