Fans React as Ace Bailey Ditches Travel to Utah after Upsetting Draft Night: “Insanely Lame”

The Jazz's newest recruit Ace Bailey has left the NBA world completely shocked after his recent actions towards his team.

Fans React as Ace Bailey Ditches Travel to Utah after Upsetting Draft Night: “Insanely Lame”

Ace Bailey (Image by FirstSportz)

If Ace Bailey wishes to avoid starting his NBA career with the Utah Jazz, he might be fighting a lost battle. Although it was reported that Utah wasn’t Bailey’s “preferred destination,” the Jazz picked him as the fifth pick in the 2025 NBA draft on Wednesday. Up until here, everything seemed fine until Bailey took things up a notch.

Most recently, the newest Jazz recruit did not even report to his team, leaving the NBA world stunned after his recent decision. Bailey’s camp made it apparent going into the draft that he would rather play for the Washington Wizards, Brooklyn Nets, or New Orleans Pelicans. NBA insider Brian Windhorst offered a detailed report on this matter.

The Utah Jazz drafted him with the No. 5 pick after he declined to work out for them. And the Jazz were very excited to welcome him to Utah over the weekend and that hasn’t happened yet. So he did not go there.

Brian Windhorst said

The worst part in all this is that Jazz’s another first-rounder, Walter Clayton Jr., flew to Utah, but Bailey did not. These kinds of actions, even before his career kicking off, do not look good on the rookie, with many having a go at him on social media.

According to ESPN, Omar Cooper, Bailey’s agent, told a team that was selecting in the top five that Bailey wasn’t going to report if they selected him. Which team that was is unclear. Following the draft, the forward stated that basketball is his primary focus. Cooper also stated that the pre-draft procedure was not unusual, citing prior years as examples.

With remarks like these, the Jazz should have seen this coming. On Bailey’s part, this will surely portray a bad image of him to all the other NBA franchises. It remains to be seen how this matter unfolds in the coming days.

Fans left shocked after coming across Ace Bailey’s recent stunt to ‘not report’ to the Jazz after being drafted by them

Just a few days into the offseason, and the Utah Jazz are already struggling off the court. Thanks to Ex-Rutgers star Ace Bailey and his recent stunts. Bailey did not report to the Jazz despite being picked as the No.5 pick during Wednesday’s NBA Draft. As mentioned above, this has left the NBA community shocked and amused over the rookie’s decision.

Many of the NBA fans took to various social media apps and sites to put forward their views and thoughts on this matter. The majority of the fans were left annoyed with Bailey’s actions towards the Jazz. One fan wrote on X, “Words cannot describe how insanely lame he is for this.” Check out some of the fan reactions below:

While many were annoyed, some fans saw this coming. Mostly because just a few days ahead of the draft, Bailey was termed as ‘immature’ by many NBA executives. Something the Jazz have seemed to ignore. Nevertheless, Bailey has until Monday to report to the Jazz’s camp.

NBA insider provided an important update on the Jazz-Ace Bailey situation

The Jazz are not here to play games, and NBA insider Brian Windhorst’s recent update over the Ace Bailey situation solidifies this. ESPN’s Windhorst stated on Get Up on Friday that Bailey will start his career with the Jazz and that they will “not budge” under pressure from his camp.

Ace Bailey
Ace Bailey (Credits: X)

They will absolutely not budge on this, and eventually, Ace Bailey is going to be a Utah Jazz. We’ll just see how long it takes for him and his representation to figure that out.

Brian Windhorst said

Bailey produced 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 30 games during his only collegiate season at Rutgers. Before the draft, Bailey was regarded as a high-end talent, but his refusal to train for teams may have reduced his negotiating power. Earlier in the process, he was predicted to be selected in the top three, but he ended up finishing fifth.

Also Read: