Ace Bailey, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, has yet to report to the Utah Jazz as of Friday morning — two days after being selected.
Despite public excitement from team governor Ryan Smith and the front office, Bailey has remained absent from team activities while Jazz officials await his arrival ahead of Monday’s Summer League training camp.
NBA insider Shams Charania discussed the situation on The Pat McAfee Show, confirming, “The Jazz are ready to welcome him in whenever he’s there… there’s just obviously conjecture there.” He noted that Bailey did not work out for Utah pre-draft, which mirrored the approach of Utah’s second first-round pick, Walter Clayton Jr.
While Bailey’s decision not to report immediately raised eyebrows, Charania emphasized that Utah’s Summer League doesn’t begin until Monday, meaning the timeline technically hasn’t been violated.
“There’s clearly been some communication lapses between both sides as far as from Ace Bailey,” Charania explained. “He’s got a representative, Omar Cooper… but he’s not a certified NBA agent.” Cooper, the father of former NBA guard Sharife Cooper, has played a leading role in Bailey’s pre-draft process, which may have complicated direct communication with teams.
Bailey’s camp reportedly had interest in other destinations, including the Wizards, Nets, and Pelicans, but those options never materialized on draft night. “Unless you’re the number one pick — you could get drafted somewhere you don’t want to go to,” Charania said. “That’s just the nature of the NBA Draft.”
Concerns about a potential holdout have surfaced, but Charania dismissed the idea of a long-term standoff. “The Jazz are not going to be trading Ace Bailey… If he’s playing in the NBA, he’s playing for the Utah Jazz. That’s just a matter of fact.”
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst also weighed in, saying on SportsCenter that there has been “minimal contact” between Bailey and the team. Still, both Windhorst and Charania reiterated that as long as Bailey arrives before Monday’s Summer League practices, there’s no immediate crisis.
“There’s not a crisis yet,” Windhorst said, as reported by Adam Zagoria of NJ Advance Media. “If he’s there, no problem, hope his Jazz career gets off to a good start. If he’s not, let’s see what actions go from there.”
Shams closed the segment with optimism, suggesting the matter could resolve quickly. “I would expect logic to start to set in here,” he said. “Four years, $40 million is the rookie salary — and the Jazz drafted Ace Bailey for Ace Bailey. That’s where he will be.”
