Feb 12, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Ace Bailey (4) looks on during the second half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Jersey Mike's Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Utah Jazz Potential NBA Draft Target Has Preference for East Coast

Originally posted on Utah Jazz on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated Jun 20, 2025 11:15 AM ET

The Utah Jazz will have a critical decision lying ahead with their fifth-overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, effectively giving this team another top young player to add to this roster, and bringing in their first top-five pick in over ten years.

However, among the top prospects the Jazz could have in front of them at pick five in next week's draft, it seems like one may have a certain preference to stay on the East Coast, which might not bode well for Utah.

According to a report from Keith Pompey of The Philly Inquirer, one league executive believes top prospect Ace Bailey's agent wants the Rutgers wing to be selected somewhere on the East Coast.

"One league executive believes that Bailey, once a consensus top-three pick, probably will drop in the draft because of his agency’s tactics. Bailey remains the only American-based draft prospect to not visit any teams for a workout. Another league executive believes that the agency wants Bailey to remain on the East Coast and play somewhere between Atlanta and New York.”

It's yet another layer in Bailey's draft saga in recent weeks, one that's put his stock in a bit of limbo from being a potential top-three pick to perhaps one of the draft's bigger fallers leading up to Wednesday.

Bailey has already had a previous reported lack of intrigue in Utah in a report from ESPN's Jonathan Givony, noting that the Rutgers wing "doesn't have much interest" in the Jazz, and if this report of his agent's preference of being on the East Coast holds up, this might not quite be the destination of choice for Bailey's team.

Atop the draft where Bailey's stock resides, there are a few potential East Coast teams that may fit the bill: the Philadelphia 76ers, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards, and Brooklyn Nets. The two that obviously don't fit into those requirements are Utah and the New Orleans Pelicans.

It doesn't mean that if Bailey isn't interested in Utah that they still couldn't opt to select him on Wednesday, though. NBA insider Jake Fischer recently noted that the Jazz haven't yet ruled out the Rutgers wing as being their choice at number five, but it remains to be seen if that idea ends up coming to fruition on draft night.

As of now, it seems there's three top prospects being consistently linked to the Jazz as to who could ultimatly the selection at number five: Duke's Kon Knueppel, Texas' Tre Johnson, and of course, Bailey. Time will tell if either of those three end up being the guy come next week.

The 2025 NBA Draft will get rolling on Wednesday, June 25th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.