Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Ace Bailey stands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the fifth pick by the Utah Jazz in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Ace Bailey stands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the fifth pick by the Utah Jazz in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
‘Who Does He Think He Is’ – Ace Bailey Faces Social Media Backlash As His Camp Warns Top-5 Team He Wouldn’t Report if Drafted
The story of Ace Bailey’s NBA Draft process continues to get more complex. According to Draft Express, Bailey’s agent told an undisclosed team with a top-five pick that the former Rutgers star would not report if selected.
Wow: Ace Bailey’s agent informed one top-5 team — believed to be either the Hornets or 76ers — that Bailey would not report if selected, per @DraftExpress. pic.twitter.com/yjvpUTzKfO
This news comes after Bailey was drafted No. 5 overall by the Utah Jazz despite denying an invitation for a workout with the team. The wing was the only U.S. prospect who had not visited an NBA team facility ahead of the draft.
College basketball fans shared their reactions to the new development in the replies. Quite a few are hating on Bailey’s boldness.
”corny,” a fan wrote.
”Who does he think he is?” another tweeted.
X users express distaste with Ace Bailey
”This is genuinely so ugly, not sure why anyone would want a prospect like this,” a fan chimed in.
A reply calls Bailey’s behavior “ugly”
Others guessed which team Bailey would refuse to report to, with one saying:
”Most likely the Hornets, he actually landed in a really good spot for him in Utah.”
A fan suggests Bailey would refuse to report to the Hornets
”It has to be the Sixers. Bailey cancelled his workout with them as well,”another one wrote.
An X user suggests Bailey wouldn’t report to the 76ers
Some compared him to Kobe Bryant, who was drafted No. 13 overall by the Charlotte Hornets in the 1996 draft before being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers ahead of his rookie season, a plan that was prearranged.
“Kobe did the same thing tbf,” a user wrote.
A fan argues that Kobe Bryant did something similar to Bailey
Ace Bailey opens up about being drafted to Utah Jazz
Ace Bailey’s refusal to work out with teams who had top picks in the 2025 NBA draft was surprising. He denied workout invitations from the Philadelphia 76ers, Charlotte Hornets, and Utah Jazz, who had the third, fourth, and fifth pick, respectively.
Despite this, Bailey was drafted No. 5 overall by the Jazz in Wednesday’s draft. After the pick, he opened up about being drafted by Utah seemingly against his wishes.
“I control what I control,” Bailey said after being drafted. “How they feel (is) how they feel. But my team and me, just me focusing on the basketball and them doing what they doing, it happens.”
It seemed that Bailey and his team had a plan going into the NBA draft, and that plan was not for him to be picked by the Jazz. However, the team had the upper hand, and Bailey will now prepare to play for Utah.
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