Ace Bailey goes to Jazz with 5th pick in NBA draft
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The Utah Jazz selected Rutgers star Ace Bailey with the fifth overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Bailey is NBA-bound after a standout campaign with the Scarlet Knights in which the 18-year-old former McDonald's All-American earned third-team All-Big Ten honors and was named to the conference's All-Freshman team.
Dylan Harper, his former teammate at Rutgers, was taken by the San Antonio Spurs with the second pick.
Bio
Position: Small forward
College: Rutgers
Height: 6-foot-7
Weight: 203 lbs
Wingspan: 7-foot
Max vertical: 34.5 inches
| GP | FG% | 3PT% | FT% | REB | AST | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 46 | 34.6 | 69.2 | 7.2 | 1.3 | 17.6 |
Bailey is widely viewed as the third-most talented player in the draft, but his stock was thrown into doubt following the combine in Chicago, where he measured shorter than anticipated and participated in some reportedly "unpolished" team interviews. He also reportedly skipped workouts with several teams. Furthermore, while Bailey is a smooth shooter (34.6% from deep on 5.1 attempts) and dynamic scorer in transition, his shot selection came into question at the collegiate ranks.
Despite those concerns, the Jazz do not plan to trade Bailey, a source told ESPN's Jonathan Givony.
It is, however, worth remembering that he played on a bad Rutgers team that forced him to occasionally take tough shots. Whether or not he becomes a star at the next level depends on his development as a playmaker, especially since he no longer measures at 6-foot-10.
NBA comparison: Tracy McGrady. There are plenty of similarities between Bailey and the seven-time All-Star and Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame honoree. Exceptional shot-making is what ultimately connects these two, especially from mid-range and beyond the arc. If Bailey doesn't reach T-Mac's level, Rudy Gay might be a more accurate comparison.