What drama? Ace Bailey's representative says he is 'thrilled' to play for Jazz; he has yet to report to Utah
Ace Bailey did not work out for the Utah Jazz — or any NBA team — in the run-up to the 2025 NBA Draft as his agent tried to steer him to his reportedly preferred East Coast destinations of Washington D.C. or Brooklyn. It didn't work out as planned, and the Utah Jazz selected Bailey with the No. 5 pick — a team in need of high-end talent in its rebuild took the player with the highest ceiling still available.
Since then, there has been minimal contact between Bailey and the Jazz, and — unlike the team's other first-round draft pick, Walter Clayton Jr. — he has yet to report to Utah, ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported Friday. That led to raised eyebrows and plenty of online speculation.
However, one of Bailey's representatives, president of GSE Worldwide Andrew Witlieb, went on Front Office Sports' show Friday and threw cold water on all the rumors, saying Bailey is 'thrilled' to play in Utah.
Ace Bailey's representation joined @FOS_Today to dispel rumors about Bailey not wanting to play for the Utah Jazz.
Full conversation ⬇️
'We think this is a great situation for him, basketball-wise,' Witlieb said, noting that Bailey would get a lot of touches and shots with the Jazz. Witlieb added that not working out for teams was not a big deal — there was plenty of film on him from Rutgers' season and the NBA Draft Combine, where the Jazz had interviewed him and obtained his medical records. He noted that teams drafting players who did not work out for them is common.
Bailey is expected to report to Utah by Monday and participate in training camp for the Utah and then the Las Vegas Summer Leagues. There was never going to be any real drama until that deadline passed.
Bailey has factions within his representation, which can lead to differing messaging.
Whether or not Bailey is happy about being picked by Utah, he and his reps have no other option than to show up. The Jazz hold his draft rights, and anyone who thinks threatening to play overseas (the Jazz would retain his rights) or not reporting is going to get Danny Ainge and the Jazz organization to buckle and trade him has not been paying attention — the Jazz will not back down. Bailey is going to play for the Jazz or nobody else in the NBA. Bailey's only option to change teams would be to sit out a full year of basketball and re-enter the draft, which would hurt his draft stock while he spent a year not getting paid. (Utah would have the full support of the league office and other owners in any showdown, they do not want to create a situation where rookie players can force their way to the destination they desire.)
All of that appears moot. The expectation in league circles has always been that Bailey would be there Monday, with the full support of his representation (who don't get paid unless he starts getting paid). There will be no drama, and the only question will be whether Bailey can play up to his potential working with coach Will Hardy and staff.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
40 minutes ago
- CBS News
Bulls trade Lonzo Ball to Cavaliers for Isaac Okoro, source says
The Cleveland Cavaliers have agreed to acquire guard Lonzo Ball from the Chicago Bulls for forward Isaac Okoro according to a person with knowledge of the agreement. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Saturday because the trade can not be finalized until the start of the new league year on July 6. Ball averaged 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 35 games this past season after missing the 2022-23 and 2023-24 campaigns because of a left knee injury. The 27-year old Ball underwent a meniscus and cartilage transplant in his left knee in March 2023 after two surgeries failed to fix an injury he suffered during his first season in Chicago in 2021-22. Ball, the second overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2017 draft, missed the last two months of the season because of a sprained right wrist. He has one year remaining on his contract with a team option for the 2026-27 season. Cleveland has a need at point guard with Ty Jerome becoming an unrestricted free agent and Darius Garland likely to miss the start of the regular season after undergoing surgery on his left big toe earlier this month. The Cavaliers had the second-best record in the NBA at 64-18 but were eliminated in the Eastern Conference semifinals by the Indiana Pacers in five games. Okoro averaged 6.1 points and 2.4 rebounds this past season and is a strong defender who can also shoot well from the perimeter. However, he found his playing time begin to decrease over the season. He averaged 14.2 minutes in the playoffs after logging 19.1 minutes per game in the regular season. Okoro has two years remaining on his contract.
New York Post
40 minutes ago
- New York Post
Sam Merrill agrees to four-year, $38 million contract to stick with Cavaliers
The Cavaliers have locked in one of their backcourt depth pieces for the future. Sam Merrill has agreed to a four-year, $38 million contract to stay in Cleveland, ESPN reported Saturday afternoon. The 60th overall pick of the 2020 draft averaged 7.2 points across 19.7 minutes across a career-high 71 games last season. Advertisement In the Cavaliers' run to the Eastern Conference semifinals, he averaged 5.8 points across 19.9 minutes. Sam Merrill of the Cleveland Cavaliers dribbles the ball during the game against the Indiana Pacers during Round 2 Game 3 of the 2025 NBA Playoffs on May 11, 2025 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. NBAE via Getty Images Merrill has served as a depth piece for the Cavaliers, as he also did during stints with Memphis and Milwaukee, where he was a rookie on the NBA champion Bucks in 2021. Advertisement Going into his fourth year in Cleveland, the 29-year-old solidified a point guard depth chart that also includes Darius Garland and Lonzo Ball, who was traded by the Bulls to the Cavs in exchange for Isaac Okoro on Saturday. Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill (5) shoots the ball against the Pacers in Game 3 of their playoff series. Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Fellow Cleveland guard Ty Jerome, however, is expected to leave in free agency. Last season, the Cavaliers were one of the top 3-point shooting teams in the NBA. Advertisement Merrill shot 37.2 percent from deep on an average of 5.2 attempts per game. He shot 40.4 percent from beyond the arc in 2023-24. In 2023, Merrill joined the Cavaliers on a 10-day contract, which was converted to a guaranteed, multi-year deal that came to an end this summer.
Fox News
40 minutes ago
- Fox News
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd reveals plans for Cooper Flagg's NBA rookie season
To hardly anyone's surprise, the Dallas Mavericks selected Cooper Flagg with the top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Flagg, 18, became one of the youngest basketball stars taken at No. 1. LeBron James retains the distinction of being the youngest player in league history to be taken with the top overall pick. Flagg described the moment he heard his name called by the NBA commissioner as "a dream come true." While Flagg primarily spent time at the traditional forward position during his lone season at Duke, the team's roster also listed him as a guard. Former Mavericks player and current coach Jason Kidd admitted he takes a more nuanced approach to players' positions. "I don't look at the position," Kidd said during a press conference. Flagg is expected to make his debut at the NBA Summer League on July 10 against the Los Angeles Lakers. Kidd revealed he wants to see Flagg in action at the point guard position. "I want to put him at point guard. I want to make him uncomfortable and see how he reacts. Be able to run the show. Be able to play (shooting guard). Play (small forward). He's comfortable playing that. We want to push. I think he's going to respond in a positive way." Mavericks part-owner Mark Cuban backed the idea of testing Flagg at the point guard spot. Kidd said he received a text from the billionaire reading, "point guard, point guard, point guard, let him bring the ball up." The 6-foot-9 basketball phenom was charged with bringing the ball up the court and getting the offense set up at times at Duke. He ultimately led the Blue Devils in assists. Kidd brushed off concerns about Flagg potentially making mistakes while handling the ball as he played the guard position. "It's all right to fail, it's all right to turn the ball over. We've talked about that. Just understanding the guys that I've been around that have been young from Giannis (Antetokounmpo), giving him the ball, and he failed, but he wanted to come back and have the ball." Kidd expressed excitement about Flagg having the ball at summer league in Las Vegas. "I'm excited to give him the ball against the Lakers and see what happens. Let's get it started right off the bat," the Mavs head coach said. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
