The Utah Jazz may have drafted Ace Bailey against his wishes, but he will cement himself as the face of their franchise.
The Utah Jazz have had an interesting offseason. After yet another disappointing NBA season, the Jazz looked to the NBA Draft to try to turn their fortunes around.
In a bold move, the Jazz selected Ace Bailey with the #5 pick. Many were surprised by the decision, as Bailey was angling for moves to other teams.
With the NBA Draft not going his way, Bailey accepted his fate with the Jazz and focused on putting his best foot forward with them.
And Bailey’s NBA Summer League performance is anything to go by, he will be the undisputed future face of the Utah Jazz franchise.
Ace Bailey set for sensational rookie season
Ace Bailey did quite well in the NBA Summer League, averaging 10.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists while playing about 18 minutes a game.
With the limited time he got on the court, Bailey put up some strong numbers. He impressed the right people within the Jazz organization.
Jazz coach Will Hardy has a plan for Bailey, much of which involves him playing off the ball, presumably with Lauri Markkanen running the offense.
But Markkanen has proven his critics wrong with a brilliant run at EuroBasket, where he even helped Finland eliminate Serbia, the heavy favorite to win the tournament.
As a result, many believe Markkanen is likely to be traded this season, as his quality is getting in the way of the Jazz’s rebuilding process.
With Markkanen and possibly even Walker Kessler leaving the team soon, that could allow Bailey to get the ball in his hands more often, giving him more offensive control.
Ace Bailey’s potential needs no restrictions on Utah Jazz
Ace Bailey was touted as one of the brightest prospects in the 2025 NBA Draft class. In fact, many felt he was the best player in the class behind the top two picks, Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper.
However, his pre-draft activity caused his draft value to tank. On the Jazz, Bailey finds himself in a great scenario, despite his initial reluctance to join the team.
The Jazz are expected to continue tanking next season, as they look to capitalize on the exciting pool of players in the 2026 and 2027 NBA Draft classes.
With no pressure to play winning basketball, Bailey can adapt to the NBA and develop his game as much as he needs in his rookie year.
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