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

New Details of Ace Bailey's Controversial Draft Process Revealed

Originally posted on Utah Jazz on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated Sep 23, 2025 12:00 PM ET

It looks like there might've been some truth to the rumors surrounding Ace Bailey's preferred destination leading up to this summer's NBA Draft, where one team was seemingly circled as the place he wanted to be.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein on The Stein Line, the Washington Wizards would be the team Bailey had preferred to be selected by after declining all workouts leading up to the draft, but would inevitably be picked up by the Utah Jazz at five.

"Washington is the lottery team, according to various rivals, that was the preferred landing spot for Ace Bailey," Stein wrote. "The Wizards had the sixth overall pick."

It was the biggest talking point around the league leading up to draft day: where did Bailey prefer to end up after skipping multiple workouts with other teams, and where would that pre-draft strategy lead him to?

A few teams popped up as that potential top destination for Bailey. The Wizards were in that mix, along with those right behind him in the New Orleans Pelicans at seven and the Brooklyn Nets and eight. The Jazz, who remained interested in taking him, didn't appear in that initial pool of rumored teams.

But it would be the Wizards who apparently had that ideal fit for Bailey and his camp. DC is right on the East Coast next to his alma mater in Rutgers, had the ideal development plan that the top prospect aspired to, and had an opening on their young roster to grow and hone into the focal point of their rebuild.

Instead, the Jazz would be the ones to take that risk on Bailey to prevent that outcome from transpiring, and ultimately put together one of the biggest surprises on draft night.

Rather than steering clear of a prospect who might not have been as eager to join Utah compared to other spots, the front office got its long-awaited franchise cornerstone and hopeful centerpiece of the future at fifth overall without any workouts and limited pre-draft interaction with Bailey. A bold, yet rewarding strategy for president Austin Ainge in his first year at the helm.

Fast forward to now, and we're under a month away from Bailey stepping onto the floor for his Jazz debut, and all signs seem to point that he's eager to do so despite any lingering buzz of his lack of interest in the Jazz.

So far, taking the gamble on Bailey is one that's paid off for this Jazz front office and the future hopes of their rebuild. Yet, it remains to be seen just how it pans out once the top-five pick is officially in uniform and on the floor for the regular season later next month.

This article first appeared on Utah Jazz on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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