Ace Bailey selected by Jazz at #5: NBA 2025 Draft surprise

The Utah Jazz created the first surprise of the 2025 NBA Draft by selecting Ace Bailey with the 5th pick. The Rutgers wing, considered one of the most promising yet mysterious talents in this class, wasn’t expected to be picked this early according to recent projections.

Bailey, 18 years old and 6’8″, comes off an impressive season at Rutgers averaging 17.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. The Chattanooga native particularly shined with 39-point performances against Indiana and 37 points against Northwestern, confirming his natural scoring ability.

A pre-draft process that caused confusion

Ace Bailey’s pre-draft strategy had intrigued NBA franchises. Ranked 3rd on ESPN’s top 100 prospects list, he was the only American player who hadn’t worked out with any NBA team before draft night.

According to ESPN sources, Bailey had declined several invitations from teams in his draft range, including the Philadelphia 76ers (3rd pick), Charlotte Hornets (4th) and even the Jazz (5th). This unusual approach had caused his projections to drop, with ESPN’s final mock draft predicting him to be selected by the Washington Wizards at 6th.

« Bailey’s pre-draft strategy has puzzled NBA teams over the past month, » reported Jonathan Givony and Shams Charania of ESPN. The Jazz wasn’t among Bailey’s preferred destinations according to sources, but that didn’t deter Utah from betting on this raw talent.

A scorer’s profile with impressive tools

Despite questions about his draft process, Bailey’s qualities remained undeniable. At 6’8″ with a 7’0″ wingspan, he has ideal size for a modern wing. His offensive versatility, combining finishing at the rim and three-point shooting (34.6%), makes him a very attractive prospect.

« Few wings in this class possess Bailey’s combination of size and shooting ability, » notes Bleacher Report’s draft expert Jonathan Wasserman, who ranked him 6th on his big board. Jazz’s President of Basketball Operations, Austin Ainge, confirmed after the selection: « We really like him as a player and how he fits our program. »

After his selection, Bailey showed confidence during his ESPN interview, notably saying about Giannis Antetokounmpo who had shown him some moves: « Oh for sure, I’ve got even more in store for him. » The Jazz, who had the worst NBA record last season (17-65), is betting on this talent to accelerate their rebuild under coach Will Hardy.