Before the 2025 NBA Draft, there was no shortage of chatter and discussion revolving around Utah Jazz fifth-overall pick Ace Bailey and how he approached his pre-draft workouts–– with one name who chimed in being Philadelphia 76ers wing Paul George.
Leading into the draft, George gave his opinion on the pre-draft process for Ace Bailey, who would end up being picked by the Jazz, questioning the soon-to-be fifth-overall pick's choices to turn down workouts and take a unique approach leading up to draft night, saying that Bailey wasn't "in a position to be making those demands."
However, just about a month since his selection, George had a different tone concerning Bailey's decision, as revealed on the latest episode of Podcast P.
“I want to kind of retract what I said,” George said on Podcast P. “How can we get on a kid that kind of knows what he wants? We're not in his shoes. He wants to do it his way. He's good enough, he's got the talent, he's gonna go where he wants to go. That's his decision. It could have backfired, but it didn't. He's still in a great situation; he still gets to showcase what he could do. He had a great game too. He went crazy, showed his potential, a flash of it.”
"How can we get on a kid that kinda knows what he wants?... He wants to do it his way… I hate being that person to be like, ‘Oh, you should’ve done this.’ Everybody has their own path."
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 21, 2025
Paul George on Ace Bailey
(via @PodcastPShow)pic.twitter.com/RSNgGLrPDQ
“I was kind of thinking about it like, I hate being that person to be like, ‘Oh, you should have did that.' Like, everybody has their own path, however way you want to trailblaze it, that's on you,” George continued. “Who are we to be like, ‘Nah, you got to do it this way or that way.' So I kind of want to retract a little bit on that, because he is a young kid and he will find his way, but it's dope when you can kind of make your own path.”
It's an intriguing shift from George, who's been a fan of Bailey since his come-up to the league, and with time, seems to be on board with his unorthodox approach to the draft. Bailey's certainly had his critics before and after the draft due to him and his representation declining multiple pre-draft workouts, and even having a list of preferred teams leading up to the night of his selection.
But now, in the mind of George, he sees a bit more confidence in the road taken by the fifth-overall pick in the weeks after the draft's fallout. Bailey certainly did create his own path in getting to the league, ultimately finding his way to the Jazz, even if how the outcome ended up transpiring was more atypical than your average draft prospect.
Now, in the weeks following Bailey's selection, the pre-draft drama has come to a close, where the Rutgers product now finds his way to Utah as his NBA home– a decision, which, up to this point, has proven to be a pretty wise decision from the Jazz brass despite the many initial concerns coming their way.
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