Latest news with #Jazz
Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Jazz lead the big winners in NBA Draft and the Trail Blazers were the biggest losers
Here are a list of winners and losers with grades and comments. Advertisement WINNERS Utah Jazz Ace Bailey tried playing a game of chicken with Danny Ainge and lost, as the Jazz president, along with his general manager, son Austin , took the mercurial Rutgers guard fifth overall despite having a slew of impactful choices with that pick. There have been players who refused to play for the teams that drafted them, such as Steve Francis nearly 30 years ago, but that won't be the case with Bailey. The Jazz got themselves the second-best prospect at No. 5, then took, guard Walter Clayton Jr. with the 18th pick. The Jazz have been in tank mode long enough. They needed to make a splash and selected two players who could make significant impacts. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up GRADE: A Washington Wizards The Wizards are being real about their rebuild. They're not going to make the playoffs next season so they stacked prospects as they prepare to make a free-agent splash in 2026. Tre Johnson , selected sixth, could pair with Bub Carrington for a dynamic frontcourt in coming years. Johnson needs work on defense but he shot nearly 40 percent on 3-pointers as a freshman at Texas and could turn into a prolific scorer. Will Riley , taken 21st, will battle it out with the other young swingmen for playing time, but like the Thunder, the Wizards are packing their roster with prospects and banking that the best will become stars. Jamir Watkins , a Florida State product taken 43rd overall, should contend for a roster spot. Advertisement GRADE: A- Charlotte Hornets It's been a difficult several years and it got worse when they slipped to fourth overall in the lottery despite having one of the league's worst records. But general manager Jeff Peterson made the best of the situation by taking four solid players who can add to a new culture. Fourth overall pick Kon Knueppel had a solid freshman season at Duke, shooting 40 percent from the 3-point line and should compete for small-forward minutes. Liam McNeeley probably should have stayed at UConn for another season as he slipped to 29, and the Hornets jumped into the first round to take him. Sion James and Ryan Kalkbrenner could have been worthy of the first round, but the Hornets took them with consecutive picks (33 and 34) to add depth. GRADE: A- Orlando Magic The Magic have drafted a litany of lottery picks over the years to uneven success but they moved one of their first-rounders to Memphis in the Desmond Bane deal, then selected at No. 25 to take Jase Richardson , a freshman who was arguably Michigan State's t best player at season's end. Orlando is desperate for offense and Richardson could serve as a solid backup to Bane. Orlando then traded with the Celtics to take Noah Penda , a 20-year-old French prospect who could become a rotation player. Advertisement GRADE: B San Antonio Spurs They took advantage of their lottery luck, selecting Dylan Harper second overall, then capitalized on the first-rounder they received from the Hawks in the Dejounte Murray deal to take Arizona freshman Carter Bryant at No. 14. The Spurs are finished rebuilding. Adding an immediate impact rookie such as Harper and a workhorse such as Bryant into their culture will help their ascension. GRADE: B LOSERS Portland Trail Blazers Drafting Chinese center prospect Y ang Hansen probably was the most bizarre first-round pick in several years. Very rarely do 16th overall picks sit in the stands during the draft but he was there as a fan, clad in a white suit. As much help as the Blazers need, taking a chance on an unproven prospect, especially at a position where they are deep, is curious at best. The Blazers came away with nothing else on draft night, meaning Hansen better be worth the investment. Brooklyn Nets The general assumption around the NBA was the Nets would trade at least one of their five first-round picks. Most teams don't need five rookies because that's a lot of roster space for players who may not be ready for the NBA rigors. But the Nets ignored conventional theory and have all five, at least for now. They could have potentially moved a pick or two for a veteran or even a future first-rounder. All five may eventually turn into starters and rotation players but the learning curve could outlast general manager Sean Marks , who has done a less than impressive job in Brooklyn. Advertisement How the West was won Thunder seem to have blueprint The Thunder look poised for long-term success. Nate Billings/Associated Press The Thunder not only won the NBA championship but they have set the blueprint for organizational success. How do veteran teams such as the Warriors manage against the younger teams? Golden State has a small window with Stephen Curry , Draymond Green , and Jimmy Butler in their mid-30s and the club still needing to decide what to do with gifted but underachieving forward Jonathan Kuminga . 'They'll be the team that we've got to knock off for sure,' general manager Mike Dunleavy said. 'The good news is, though, there's been an incredible amount of parity the last six, seven years. Multiple different champions, multiple different finalists. 'I don't want to say it's wide open. But I don't think it's to the point where it was in 2016, '17 with this organization where it was really, really hard to oust a team.' The Thunder took three years to rebuild their roster, starting with the trade of Paul George to the Clippers for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander . They then added draft picks such as Jalen Williams , Chet Holmgren , and Aaron Wiggins along with the acquisitions of Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein . They built from scratch and now have an opportunity for the first dynasty since the Warriors. Advertisement 'Oklahoma City is really good,' Dunleavy said. 'They play their cards right, they're going to be really good for a long time. Health is a part of that and certain other things. But no doubt, the regular season they had this year was incredible, and obviously making the playoff run to win the championship this year, they're going to be the team to beat.' NBA general managers have duly noticed why and how Oklahoma City and Indiana reached the Finals. Gone are the days of high-scoring teams splashing threes and winning shootouts without defensive emphasis. Games are getting uglier and more athletic. 'I think it just is bared out that defense is still really important, and then the offensive end, to be able to have space on the floor to combat these defenses,' Dunleavy said. 'Certainly Indiana had that with some of the floor-spacing bigs they had. Then I think obviously you go back to further rounds with the Knicks, Minnesota … but honestly to go deep in the playoffs you've got to have a little bit of everything. Man, you've got to put together a really good team, and that's what Oklahoma City has done. Sam [ Presti ] did a great job. 'And credit to Indiana, as well. Those guys had a heck of a year. Kevin Pritchard did an amazing job; Rick Carlisle , what a coach. Just need really good players.' Of course, the winning philosophy for the Warriors differs from younger teams. They have to win now. They have to maximize this small window without many of the resources as younger and less expensive teams because so much is invested in their Big Three. Advertisement 'In our case we've got three players in their 30s that are really good, and that's the hand we're playing,' Dunleavy said. As time goes on, maybe that changes, but multiple different ways to build a team, and I think the way we're going about doing ours is what's right for us.' But there's a dilemma. In 2010, the aging Celtics eased up during the regular season, won 50 games, 12 fewer than the previous season, but regrouped for an NBA Finals run as the fourth seed in the East. The Warriors don't want to take that same path. They don't want to go through the playoff gauntlet as a lower seed — such as this season when they beat Houston as the seventh seed, then lost to Minnesota. They want to flourish during the regular season to make their playoff run easier. But is that possible with an older team? 'This isn't a team that we can just say, hey, let's get through the regular season and have a roster ready to go for the postseason,' Dunleavy said. 'The West is really tough. The league is really tough. I mentioned the parity before. So in that regard — we won 48 games this year and we were in the play-in, so we've got to be able to have a really good team that can sustain their regular season through some nights of rest, through some injuries, all that may come about. 'We look at trades in free agency, we're going to look at guys, how healthy they are, how many games they play. That stuff is important. We'll factor it all in, and hopefully we can also put together a roster that we feel once the regular season turns over to the postseason, that team can be really good, too.' New face in New Orleans Dumars trying to revamp Pelicans Joe Dumars and the Pelicans had a busy draft night. Matthew Hinton/Associated Press The Pelicans fared well on draft night as new general manager Joe Dumars tries to revamp the roster and acquire youth. He traded CJ McCollum , in the final year of his contract, to the Wizards for erratic but talented Jordan Poole . Dumars then took a pair of one-and-dones in Maryland forward Derik Queen and Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears . Fears is considered a potential star with seasoning and fills a void at point guard the Pelicans have missed since the departure of Jrue Holiday . They took a chance on Kira Lewis in 2020 and he never started a game, and Dejounte Murray could miss most of next season recovering from an Achilles' tear. 'I feel like they'll be a great fit,' Fears said of the Pelicans. 'They have some amazing pieces. Obviously just got Jordan Poole, as well, so that will be a great addition. They have Zion [ Williamson ]. He's a lob threat, somebody that you can get the ball to, somebody that is going to impact the game, all aspects of the game. I bring a lot to the game, as well. It's going to be super dope. Looking to build that connection with those guys and add a lot of wins to the win column this year.' Fears is one of the younger draftees, turning 19 in October. He flourished in his lone season at Oklahoma, averaging 17.1 points, 4.1 assists, and 4.1 rebounds. He showed playmaking ability and an effectiveness around the rim. 'Really just going out there, doing my thing, treat [the NBA] with the same mind-set,' he said. 'Approach everything the same way, to kill and to make the right reads. Personally, I don't believe in pressure because I trust my work and know what I'm capable of.' Meanwhile, the most controversial pick was Rutgers swingman Ace Bailey , who did not work out for any interested teams and declared through his representatives that he wanted to play on the East Coast. That didn't deter Danny and Austin Ainge , who selected him fifth overall for the Jazz. Last we checked, Utah is far from the East Coast. Bailey appeared giddy at his draft selection, perhaps expecting that teams wouldn't bow to his demands. 'Just a blessing,' he said. 'The little kid in me is smiling hard right now, because I know the hard work, the sacrifice, the blood, the sweat, the tears not just for me but my family put into this.' Bailey was asked his knowledge of Salt Lake City. The answer? Not much. 'I don't know a lot, but I'm learning,' he said. ' I know it gets cold and hot up there. I'm used to the cold because I've been in Jersey. I'm used to the heat because I'm from the South. I can get along with it.' If it works out well, Bailey could become a cornerstone for the Jazz. Layups When Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said freshly minted first-round pick Hugo Gonzalez played with several former NBA players, he wasn't kidding. Real Madrid is loaded with former first-rounders and ex-NBAers, including Mario Hezonja , former Thunder draft pick Gabriel Deck , former Rockets first-round pick Usman Garuba , former Celtic Bruno Fernando , ex-Hawk Edy Tavares , former Net Dzanan Musa , longtime NBA center Serge Ibaka , former Nuggets guard Facundo Campazzo , and former Rockets and longtime Spanish standout Sergio Llull . Gonzalez did not play in the closeout game against Valencia Basket Club to win the Spanish League title and he averaged 1.9 points in playing 30 of Real Madrid's first 40 games before the Spanish League playoffs … With the sale of the Lakers to Mark Walter and Dodgers ownership, there is a spotlight on the organization to capitalize on the shrinking window with LeBron James and Luka Doncic on the five-year anniversary of the team's last championship. Los Angeles did not have a first-round pick in 2025 because of the Anthony Davis acquisition six years ago. LA did jump up 10 spots in the draft to take Chicago's second-round pick at No. 45. The Lakers' offseason priority is a pick-and-roll center for Doncic but the free-agent market is dry on centers with aging Brook Lopez or the limited Clint Capela the best options … The Rockets wanted Fred VanVleet back but not at $43 million per season so they rejected his team option but brought back the savvy guard on a two-year, $50 million deal, giving them a reliable scorer to join Kevin Duran . VanVleet also provides leadership for a younger team … The Celtics have until Sunday to pick up the option on JD Davison's contract for 2025-26. Even if the Celtics do keep Davison, his $2.2 million would not become guaranteed until Jan. 10, 2026. Boston could pick up the option and add Davison to a potential trade to fill salary. The Celtics also have until Sunday to make a qualifying offer to two-way swingman Drew Peterson , who should get minutes with the team's retooling this season. The Celtics also have an open two-way contract, a spot they could fill after summer league or even sooner with an undrafted player. Gary Washburn is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at
Mint
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
ChatGPT is the perfect companion for a musical evening
Everyone knows ChatGPT or the other general AI assistants aren't music platforms. They can't give you music to listen to and can't even connect to the streaming apps without complex workarounds. And yet, one of the most rewarding activities I've done with a chatbot has been all about diving into the most beautiful music. Now, I love collecting things. One of those things is music. I have at least 50 music playlists on Spotify, each containing handpicked songs, even when the playlist is a good 12 hours long. I'm proud of my playlists, treasure them infinitely, and listen to them all the time, sharing them eagerly with anyone who'll have them. An unusual collaboration Some of these playlists are 'regular', like the usual golden oldies one never lets go of. Others are favourite genres, like Jazz, Blues or Classical. But some are quite unique. For instance, I have a playlist titled Around the World in Jazz, which is exactly what the name indicates: a journey across the world listening to Jazz from different countries. I have a Whisper Hungarian, which is a short playlist of fascinating Eastern European music. Making the playlists has been a joy, but I craved more personalization, so I decided to make cover images for each. And that's where ChatGPT came in. Also Read: Google's Audio Overview can turn those boring documents into engaging podcasts I chose ChatGPT Pro because it's a little ahead of the other assistants with image creation. I described one of my playlists, Women Rule the Blues, a huge collection of Blues songs sung by women. I prompted ChatGPT to represent my list in the image of woman power. I gave it the names of some songs included. I gave other details, such as the fact that I had focused on slow Whiskey Blues and that the list was eight hours of music. ChatGPT soon came up with a stunning cover that captured the spirit of powerhouse Blues women with bold simplicity. A silhouetted singer leans into a mic, caught in a moment of raw expression against a smoky wash of indigo and violet, colours that echo the melancholy and the strength of the genre. It was perfect. We discussed the cover and the tracks I had collected over the years, and framed a description. After that, I wanted no more changes and took a break to reacquaint myself with the music. After this. I spent hours quite immersed in collaboration with ChatGPT, designing covers for all my playlists. In some cases, the concept would be entirely from ChatGPT. At other times, I had my own ideas on how the cover was to convey the mood of the playlist. I was able to 'show' ChatGPT what the list contained by taking a scrolling screenshot so it 'knew' each song, suggesting others in the same tone and mood. Also Read: You're absolutely right, as the AI chatbot says We ended up refining the playlists, making sure there were no abrupt shifts in mood or anything that didn't fit or was missing. We came up with descriptions and one striking cover after another. In the process, I made several new playlists that have been added to my treasure-house of music. All the titles were my own, as I didn't like a single one ChatGPT came up with. But each playlist—Mystic East, India Beats, She Waltzes, Jazz Goes Classical—is a work of love. A deep discussion What surprised me the most during this journey together was how ChatGPT gave me a new understanding of the music I loved. Just try asking a question about a piece of music and see what you get. I commented on Russian composer Rachmaninov's symphonic poem, Isle of the Dead. This terrifying piece of music is inspired by a scene painted by an artist named Bocklin. He was so obsessed with the image that he painted five versions of it. ChatGPT discussed it with me in a deeply, dare I say, human way. I felt as if we had both just listened to it. We talked about how the piece was structured, and I commented that it was no easy listen and was, in fact, chilling. ChatGPT pulled out the five paintings and remarked that Rachmaninov didn't just write a score for them, he entered it. 'It stays with you, because it doesn't show death as drama. It shows it as a journey you must take alone, across still water, to a place you can't name. Terrifying, yes, but strangely beautiful." And indeed it is, as are my playlists. Also Read: The chatbot will see you now The New Normal: The world is at an inflexion point. Artificial Intelligence is set to be as massive a revolution as the Internet has been. The option to just stay away from AI will not be available to most people, as all the tech we use takes the AI route. This column series introduces AI to the non-techie in an easy and relatable way, aiming to demystify and help a user to actually put the technology to good use in everyday life. Mala Bhargava is most often described as a 'veteran' writer who has contributed to several publications in India since 1995. Her domain is personal tech and she writes to simplify and demystify technology for a non-techie audience.
Wales Online
13 hours ago
- Business
- Wales Online
Town just off the M4 motorway has a bright pink shop people travel miles for, and that's not even the best thing about it
Town just off the M4 motorway has a bright pink shop people travel miles for, and that's not even the best thing about it The Pink Shop in Pontypridd, now known as Pinc, has been open since the 1940s and is one of the oldest of its kind in south Wales The Pink Shop in Treforest has had a modern makeover If you happen to be a local you know it. If you've driven past by accident you'll remember it, and it's been here for 80 years, so a lot of people have. People have been spending pocket money here for decades and while the name has changed a fair few times two things have not - the colour and the sweets. The Pink Shop in Treforest has always been brilliant - but now it's doing something extraordinarily fabulous. Sian Perez and her sister-in-law Jazz Dicker run their own care and supported living service for adults with autism, learning disabilities and mental illness in the village called Crwban Care and Support. The family run company started over a Sunday dinner during the pandemic and has since developed in to a major part of the community. The pair have now expanded their horizons and taken over the oldest sweet shop in South Wales. The Pink Shop in Pontypridd, now known as Pinc as a nod to the Welsh language, has been open since the 1940s but has recently had a modern makeover. From superstar gigs to cosy pubs, find out What's On in Wales by signing up to our newsletter here . Sian who had a care background and Jazz who had a nursing background joined forces to help support adults with additional needs to gain more independence. When the opportunity came up to start their own businesses they said they just had to take it. Article continues below Jazz said: "We help individuals become independent in the community and live their best lives. Pink was never part of our plan, but when we were given the opportunity, we couldn't turn it down because not only is the Pink Shop or now Pinc, iconic in Trefforest, it also is going to be a place that we want our service users and our residents to be able to volunteer and become integrated members of society and be part of something pretty special." There's still a selection of old sweets in the store, but now they have also branched out and are serving breakfast, lunch and coffees too. (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) Sian explained: "The Pink Shop is the oldest independent sweet shop in South Wales, so I think it started around the 1940s, and it's just changed over time so it's been a sweet shop since then and obviously we wanted to keep the sweets, but just add a bit more extra." Jazz said: "When we were even painting it outside, the local members of the community were walking past and checking that we weren't going to paint it another colour. The whole community knows about the pink shop and it's actually been really lovely to meet members of the community and hear about their stories and their memories coming here as children with their parents then bringing their own kids. "So we felt it was really important to keep that side of things, especially because we very much want to be a community café and a hub." The family run business consists of barista Tailan de Morais, manager Katrina Morris and co-owners Jazz Dicker and Sian Perez. (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) Katrina, Sian's sister and Jazz's wife has taken over managing the cafe/sweet shop, and is primarily the reason it looks the way it does now. They told us that it was a massive family effort to get shop looking and running the way it is now. However, they are also looking forward to including some of their service users in the team, through their volunteer programme. Jazz said: "Having been running Crwban for nearly three years now many of our residents are really desperate to have those sorts of opportunities and whilst we've met a lot of really lovely welcoming businesses in the area who provide those opportunities there's not many, and our our guys are now incredibly excited so Sian's carrying interviews with them on the first of July." Sian added: "We've done interview workshops, CV workshops, application form workshops, just to expand on their skill set as well." Jazz continued: "It's also been really lovely because whilst we set it up with Crwban residents in mind, we've also had other members of the community pop in to ask about opportunities for their loved ones with additional needs. So we've realised it's probably going to be a much bigger project than we first envisaged and we're handing out applications to more of the public now." Two of Crwban's service users who have started volunteering are 22-year-old Dylan and 26-year-old Declan. Dylan said that Pinc is going to be "fantastic "and that he's exciting to work on the till and bake cakes. He said he's "not going to wash up" as he doesn't like it but that he thinks he is going to "have fun and learn lots of things". Meanwhile, Declan's goal is to "learn to use the coffee machine" and he "loves meeting people" so can't wait to start his new role. Declan and Dylan are two of Crwban's service users who are now volunteering in Pinc, Treforest (Image: Pinc ) The duo have hired cafe-specific staff, but also a few support workers who are going to be doing their barista training so they can work across both Crwban and Pinc. Jazz explained: "so then it's a space that you're coming to, you can go to the cafe, but you've also got the cafe staff are trained to engage with individuals with additional needs and give them those experiences. "It's like those social opportunities are really, really important, and being able to then run social groups in an environment like that, and especially because not all of our service users or residence will be able to volunteer at the cafe, we have some more complex individuals, but even just being able come and be there will be good for them." The team are also hoping to do social events and groups for people with additional needs, as well as workshops, cooking lessons, evening classes,karaoke, coffee mornings, open mic nights. The co-founders shared that they have a big vision for Pinc and that they "hope it's going to be very special." The business really is a family affair, as co-owner Jazz, her wife Katrina and her sister-in-law Sian all work together. (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) Article continues below They hope to make an inclusive and safe space for those in the community to have the sort of experiences, most people take for granted. Jazz continued: "That's probably the the motive for a lot of what we want to do in there so we're starting a chatty hour a couple of mornings a week for an hour where we're gonna sit in the cafe and and if anybody wants to come down just for a chat to sort of tackle loneliness. "Local sort of like support groups have approached us to ask if they can sort of base themselves at Pinc as well. So, that's like the main goal is we basically want to be like a hub where there's always something going on for everyone, whether it be our residents or other sort of vulnerable groups within the community."
Hindustan Times
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Ace Bailey crushes Lakers rumors, takes Utah Jazz decision amid wild NBA Draft speculation
With the season winding down to speculations of draft-day manipulation and trade rumours, Utah Jazz forward Ace Bailey has finally quashed all the rumour mills. Ace Bailey poses on the red carpet prior to the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 25, 2025 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)(Getty Images via AFP) The 18-year-old rising star, selected No. 5 overall in Wednesday's NBA Draft out of Rutgers, will report to the Jazz on Saturday, a team representative confirmed to ESPN's Jonathan Givony. 'We've had good communication with Ace Bailey and his representatives,' the representative said. 'We feel good about everything. Ace and his family are coming to Utah tomorrow. We'll have a press conference Sunday, and a practice Monday.' ALSO READ| Caitlin Clark not playing vs Dallas Wings: Coach hints at when injured Fever star will be back That confirmation effectively ends the widespread buzz that Bailey or his camp may have been attempting to steer his draft destination. While Bailey didn't work out for any team prior to the draft, all signs now point to him being fully committed to starting his pro career in Salt Lake City. 'He's great,' Jazz president of basketball operations Austin Ainge said after the draft. 'We were able to speak with him. He was super excited. We're super excited. We're expecting a very bright future.' Bailey's Utah bet shakes up Lakers' offseason blueprint Bailey will now begin preparing for the NBA Summer League, set to tip off on 10 July. After a standout season with the Scarlet Knights, where he averaged 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game, earning All-Big Ten honours, the forward arrives in Utah as one of the league's most talked about rookies. Yet, one such ripple effect might be on Los Angeles because of Bailey's sudden commitment to Utah. With the Los Angeles Lakers entering the offseason disappointed by losing in the first round of the playoffs, the front office is likely to pursue reinforcements to maximise Lebron James' last title run. Many speculated that if Bailey expressed disinterest in Utah, the Jazz might pivot toward making Lauri Markkanen available in a trade. Instead, Utah's stacked frontcourt now featuring Bailey, Markkanen, John Collins (who picked up his $26.2 million player option), and Walker Kessler presents a good problem for Danny Ainge to solve. ALSO READ| Caitlin Clark misses game vs Sparks: How serious is her new injury Notably, Markkanen's shooting and size make him an ideal fit next to LeBron and Luka Dončić, whom the Lakers reportedly pursued. They also retained Austin Reaves, Dalton Knecht, and a coveted unprotected 2031 first-round pick.
USA Today
15 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Utah Jazz expect No. 5 pick Ace Bailey to join team immediately, per report
The Utah Jazz expect rookie Ace Bailey to report to the team facility on Saturday, June 28, according to a report by ESPN. The 6-foot-10 guard was a highly touted prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft and was eventually selected by Utah with No. 5 overall pick on June 25. His pre-draft process had raised eyebrows across the league when he did not meet with teams for individual workouts. Guard Walter Clayton Jr. (18th overall pick) and forward John Tonje (53rd overall pick) are also expected to be in Salt Lake City for the team's introductory rookie press conference on Sunday, June 29, and at practice on Monday, June 30. All three players are expected to participate for the Jazz during NBA Summer League. 2025 NBA Draft: Jazz draft Rutgers freshman Ace Bailey with No. 5 pick Ace Bailey's pre-draft process Bailey was the only American player who hadn't conducted a single visit prior to the draft to work out for an NBA team. He drew attention after canceling a visit with the Philadelphia 76ers, who held the third overall pick in the draft. Bailey had reportedly declined invitations for a visit from the Jazz and the Charlotte Hornets, who had the fourth overall pick. "I'm glad it's over," Bailey said about his process at the draft. "I'm ready to play some basketball now. It's just been a great journey. Me working hard, pushing myself physically and mentally, just getting prepared for the next level." Omar Cooper, Bailey's agent, had previously addressed the ongoing conversation about his client. 'Every NBA team watched him work out in Chicago,' Cooper told ESPN. 'He did 18 interviews. Everyone got his medical. They watched him run and jump. They got his measurements. They watched him shoot in drills.' Cooper cited similar situations from the 2021 draft, including Davion Mitchell and Evan Mobley, and the lack of conversation that was had during their respective processes. Ace Bailey's college stats Ace Bailey started all 30 games he played in his only season at Rutgers. The point guard averaged 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 33.3 minutes per game. He was named to the All-Big Ten third team and the Big Ten All-Freshman team.
