The NBA intervened to block the Utah Jazz from adding Omar Cooper Jr., the son of Ace Bailey’s advisor, to their Summer League coaching staff, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported.
According to MacMahon, the Jazz planned to bring Cooper Jr. in as an unpaid guest coach to help ease Bailey’s transition to the NBA after drafting him fifth overall in the 2025 NBA Draft.
The league office contacted the franchise and raised concerns about the arrangement, prompting Utah to cancel the plan before Summer League began.
Bailey officially signed his rookie deal with the Jazz on July 2, alongside fellow draft pick Walter Clayton Jr., after being selected out of Rutgers.
The move to involve Cooper Jr. appeared to be part of the Jazz’s effort to support Bailey, who skipped all pre-draft workouts and interviews with teams, including a scheduled session with the Philadelphia 76ers.
During the pre-draft process, Bailey’s camp drew scrutiny for its unorthodox approach, as he did not meet privately with any team before draft night.
Bailey’s representation is led by agents Adie Von Gontard and Daniel Green, but Omar Cooper — a non-certified advisor — was widely viewed as the primary contact for teams during negotiations.
Cooper Jr., who recently finished his college playing career at McNeese State and intends to pursue coaching, remains unaffiliated with any NBA team for now.
Bailey averaged 19.2 points and 7.5 rebounds in his lone season at Rutgers and was projected as a top-three pick before sliding to Utah at No. 5.
