A month ago, Ace Bailey was projected to be the third overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. In subsequent weeks, after he declined or canceled workouts with the Philadelphia 76ers (pick No. 3), the Charlotte Hornets (No. 4), and the Utah Jazz (No. 5), his draft stock fell to the sixth overall pick.
The reason why Bailey did so is unknown, but maybe he wished to get drafted by the Washington Wizards, who held the No. 6 pick. While the 76ers and the Hornets picked Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe and Duke’s Kon Kneuppel, respectively, the Jazz pulled one over by drafting Bailey with their fifth pick.
This led to hilarious reactions on the internet, with fans making all sorts of jokes and memes over the new partnership. We’ve compiled 10 memes that ran wild on the internet shortly after the pick was announced. They are as follows:
Lmaooooo Ace Bailey didn’t wanna go to Utah and they drafted him anyway pic.twitter.com/7kaMCooswa
— Shaq👑(I’m Daddy) (@LeGOATBurner23) June 26, 2025
— Gen X (@generationx6580) June 26, 2025
“I don’t want to go to Utah.”
Utah: pic.twitter.com/buTH1UlK61
— Hologram H (@HmJileswrites) June 26, 2025
He looks thrilled 🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/ENr6OYiwNX
— SaintSixers (@SaintsSixers) June 26, 2025
— Ma’alefa’ak (@Gun_Lover_Fresh) June 26, 2025
"Welcome to Utah, here's your 5-year contract." pic.twitter.com/DnDnsFVM29
— WYNOI (@wynoi) June 26, 2025
Jazz fans to Ace Bailey in his first NBA game pic.twitter.com/uSK5AUiDiQ
— June (@HoodieBrunson) June 26, 2025
ace bailey looks like hes about to cry after being drafted by the jazz 💔😭 pic.twitter.com/SOi79mBVXK
— WizardsMuse (@WizardsMuse1) June 26, 2025
ace bailey situation seems like back in the day on 2K when you kept bombing the questions after the rookie showcase and still ended up on an even worse team than the ones you avoided 😭 pic.twitter.com/aza5m61ISm
— myke (@NBAMyke) June 26, 2025
Ace Bailey finding out he’s gonna be able to shoot 30 shots a game with no expectations pic.twitter.com/vbuEpYf8Yk
— retro (@GANGSTAF3VER) June 26, 2025
Jazz Co-Owner Reacts to Ace Bailey’s Fifth Overall Selection
A rumor is surfacing that despite Ace Bailey not wanting to be drafted by the Jazz, the franchise went ahead and maximized their draft pick by selecting him.
This comes after frantic pre-draft gestures made by Bailey, canceling a planned workout with the 76ers and also ignoring invitations from other teams.
NBA insider Jonathan Givony said:
“This was not one of his preferred destinations. He was hoping to get to either Washington, New Orleans, or Brooklyn. The Utah Jazz selected Ace Bailey knowing that. This is a little bit of a stunner.”
Despite all the red flags, the Jazz picked him, and their co-owner Dwyane Wade is happy about it.
“When you can get a player as talented as ACE with the 5th pick, you don’t over think it, you do it! Good job @utahjazz,” Wade wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).
There’s no doubt Ace Bailey was one of the best prospects declaring for the 2025 NBA Draft. He is coming off a historic season with the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, where he averaged 17.6 points and 7.2 rebounds while shooting 45.8% from the field.
Only time will tell whether or not Bailey had Jazz in mind. While he might not have Jazz among his preferred destinations, he will have to adjust to the new reality.
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