Oct 10, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Utah Jazz guard Ace Bailey (19) during the first half against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Ace Bailey’s NBA Debut Takes Unfortunate Turn

Originally posted on Fastbreak on SI | By Justin Grasso | Last updated Oct 22, 2025 8:01 PM ET

Heading into the 2025-2026 NBA season, Utah Jazz rookie Ace Bailey is one of the most exciting rookies debuting in the pros.

Wednesday night’s matchup between the Jazz and the Los Angeles Clippers was highly anticipated, and Bailey’s introduction to the NBA was a major reason for that.

Unfortunately, Bailey’s debut is taking a bit of an unfortunate turn. The rookie was added to the injury report leading up to Wednesday’s game. According to the Utah injury report, Bailey is dealing with an illness. While Bailey was cleared to play, his role will come with limitations to begin the year.

Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Bailey Braces for a Restriction

According to a report, the Jazz plan to have Ace Bailey play a limited role. He’s not expected to see the court for more than 15 minutes, as he deals with a minor concern.

It’s unclear if there was a plan to start Bailey right away this year, but the Jazz are reportedly having the rookie come off the bench for the opener against the Clippers.

via @anyblarsen: Ace Bailey on a 15-minute restriction tonight due to illness.

Ace Bailey on a 15-minute restriction tonight due to illness. https://t.co/0M5Yp6GIAY
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) October 22, 2025

Bailey will be one of the youngest players in the NBA after just turning 19 back in August. Two years ago, he was a five-star recruit coming out of high school in Powder Springs, Georgia.

Being one of the top recruits in the nation, Bailey had interest all over the NCAA. He took a surprising path to Rutgers, becoming one of the highest-ranked recruits in the school’s history.

During his first season at Rutgers, Bailey appeared in 30 games. He picked up a start in each matchup and averaged 33.3 minutes on the floor. With his shot, Bailey averaged 46 percent from the field and hit on 34 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc. The freshman posted averages of 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game.

Before dealing with a minor injury in the preseason, Bailey averaged 16.0 points, while shooting nearly 65 percent from the field and hitting on 40 percent of his threes. Bailey will likely grow into a larger role for the Jazz as the season progresses and his health improves. There is a chance he could put up a fight for the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award, despite being the league’s fifth-overall pick back in June.

Currently, Bailey has the second-best odds to win the award, according to FanDuel. Bailey trails the Dallas Mavericks rookie, Cooper Flagg.