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Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Ace Bailey stands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the fifth pick by the Utah Jazz in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Utah Jazz's Ace Bailey May Have Uphill Battle for ROTY

Originally posted on Utah Jazz on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated Aug 26, 2025 11:47 AM ET

The Utah Jazz will have one name on their roster this season who looks to be a prime candidate to be in the mix of this year's Rookie of the Year race: fifth-overall pick Ace Bailey.

Sure, the Jazz's second first-rounder in Walter Clayton could also make some noise himself, but Bailey would definitely be the one to pick with the best odds to take home that hardware on Utah's roster. He'll have a chance to make a big impact on the offensive end right off the bat, will have a good share of opportunities on his hands, and thus, looks the part of being a top-three-to-five name to watch in the Rookie of the Year race entirely.

But, in the eyes of ESPN, the chances of Bailey being able to dethrone the favorite to take home the award, Cooper Flagg, don't look too high.

ESPN recently took a panel of NBA experts, including reporters, editors, and analysts, stacking up the league's potential award winners for next season, where for Rookie of the Year, Flagg captured a lion's share of the votes with 121 total points, while Bailey sat in fifth place with only 16.

"Unsurprisingly, Flagg ran away with the voting: He's the best prospect in this class, brings NBA-ready versatility and is stepping into what will likely be an important role on a team with playoff hopes and veteran talent," ESPN's Jeremy Woo wrote. "This award tends to be about the confluence of talent and circumstance, and Flagg enters the league with an optimal combination of both."

The two that came the closest to Flagg were this year's second and third picks, Dylan Harper and VJ Edgecombe, but even they were a considerable distance away from catching him. Harper finished with 38 points in the vote, while Edgecombe had 25– not quite on the level of Flagg's total of 121.

"Harper and Edgecombe finished second and third, and both players can be highly impactful as rookies. The question in both instances will be how big a role they can carve out in their respective crowded backcourts, and whether that leads to a big enough platform to mount a case for Rookie of the Year honors. On paper, Flagg has a major leg up -- for now."

It's far from a surprise to see Flagg top the list as the easy favorite to take home the trophy. He has the skillset on both ends to be an immediate impact player, even for a competitive team like Dallas, and could have the year one numbers that trumps anyone else in contention.

But it's hard to say Bailey has a 0% chance at taking home that Rookie of the Year award either. If Bailey can start the year off on the right foot and land a decent chunk of shot opportunities for the first half of the year, he could have the scoring edge over Flagg that could potentially make the race at least a discussion.

Bailey will be surrounded by multiple young players with mouths to feed that could make that task easier than done, though. And compared to a prospect like Flagg, Bailey still stands a bit on the rawer side with steps needed to be taken at the next level to be a consistent contributor on both ends, elevating to be than just an isolation scorer.

If the stars align, Bailey can certainly get his foot in the door for this year's hunt to claim that Rookie of the Year trophy, but it'll be far from a walk in the park.