Utah Jazz News

Home

Quizzes

Watch

Newsletter

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

Is Ace Bailey's Injury Setback Common in the NBA?

Originally posted on Fastbreak on SI | By Justin Grasso | Last updated Oct 14, 2025 11:14 AM ET

Ace Bailey has made the Utah Jazz look like geniuses for selecting him fifth overall so far.

Many NBA fans are accusing analysts of overthinking the former Rutgers forward’s value, as mock drafts started sliding him down the board throughout a strange pre-draft process. But as Bailey’s preseason progresses, he’s reminding everybody of why he was placed in the top three in the first place.

However, there has been a bit of a drawback.

During the Jazz’s Monday night preseason battle against Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks, Bailey was held out for the remainder of his shift due to a concern related to his knee. After the matchup, Jazz head coach Will Hardy explained the reason behind the decision.

“He's got some tendonitis in both knees," Hardy told reporters. "It's nothing that we're overly concerned with. He's not going to be getting imaged or anything like that. It's just trying to take care of him. He was a little sore during his second stint.”

Ace Bailey arsenal is so smooth. A lot of young T-Mac and PG vibes here. How did he fall to fifth? ‍♂️ Rookie of the year otw. pic.twitter.com/ffZmWHrj7x
— Ball Don't Stop (@balldontstop) October 9, 2025

Does Ace Bailey Have a Concerning Injury History?

Bailey spent just one season at Rutgers, appearing in 30 games. He remained healthy throughout the year, while averaging 33.3 minutes on the court.

When looking at his very brief history, Bailey had just one concerning setback recently, which occurred during his Summer League run with the Jazz. The rookie was dealing with a right hip flexor. Clearly, Bailey wasn’t affected long-term, as it hasn’t been an issue since.

Is Bailey’s Setback Common?

Some of the NBA’s biggest stars have had similar issues to Bailey in the past. Obviously, injuries have different effects and recovery times on each player, but the history of the setback shouldn’t concern Jazz fans.

Players such as Jayson Tatum, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Stephen Curry have had recent bouts with tendonitis. Curry missed minimal time during the Golden State Warriors’ 2024-2025 season. The veteran guard managed to appear in 70 games last season.

Any setback to a franchise star is sure to concern fans to some degree, but Bailey’s situation shouldn’t be overly concerning.

Bailey made his NBA Preseason debut on October 8 against the Houston Rockets. In 31 minutes of action, he shot 11-16 from the field to score 25 points. He also racked up 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block.

When the Jazz paid a visit to the San Antonio Spurs, he clocked in for 39 minutes. Bailey went 8-13 from the field, producing 20 points. He also produced 7 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals.

Before leaving Monday’s action early, Bailey struggled with his shot by going 1-5 from the field. He accounted for 3 points, 1 rebound, and 1 steal in the Jazz’s loss against the Mavs.