With the 2025–26 NBA season a month away, a new report has shed light on Utah Jazz rookie Ace Bailey’s draft-night intentions. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the 19-year-old forward preferred to land with the Washington Wizards, not the Utah Jazz, who ultimately selected him No. 5 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft.
“This one has been in circulation since draft night in June: Washington is the lottery team, according to various rivals, that was the preferred landing spot for Ace Bailey,” Stein reported Monday. “Bailey's camp refused to engage with teams interested in bringing him in for an individual workout in the days leading up to the June 25 draft in the apparent hope of steering himself to the Wizards.”
The Wizards held the No. 6 overall pick, just one spot behind Utah. Despite Bailey's apparent preference and limited workout availability, the Jazz moved forward with the selection, a move that sparked widespread speculation about whether the former Rutgers standout would report to Salt Lake City.
Ace Bailey eyed Wizards at No. 6 before Jazz made surprise pick
Fueling that speculation further was the Wizards’ recent signing of Sharife Cooper to a two-way contract. Cooper is the son of Bailey’s manager, Omar Cooper, who is widely believed to have orchestrated much of Bailey’s tightly controlled pre-draft process. The timing of the signing raised eyebrows around the league.
NBA insider Jake Fischer reported in June that the move “surprised no shortage of personnel people who track the two-way market,” noting that Sharife Cooper hadn’t played in the NBA since the 2021–22 season and had spent the past year playing in Turkey, Greece, and France — none at the EuroLeague level.
Despite the off-court noise, Bailey is expected to play a central role in Utah’s rotation this season. He averaged 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, and 1.3 assists per game during his lone season at Rutgers.
The Jazz will begin their 2025–26 campaign at home on Wednesday, October 22, against the Los Angeles Clippers. The game marks the return of former Jazz forward John Collins, who was traded to the Clippers this offseason in a three-team deal. The Clippers also enter the season under league scrutiny, following an ongoing NBA investigation into whether a $28 million endorsement deal between Kawhi Leonard and the now-bankrupt company Aspiration may have violated salary cap rules.
