The Utah Jazz began the 2025-26 season in impressive fashion, building a 20+ point lead over the LA Clippers in the first half of their game. Aside from Wednesday being the Jazz’s first game of the season, it was also Ace Bailey’s first game of his NBA career, during which he got his first bucket late in the first quarter.

The Jazz had already opened up a double digit lead against the Clippers in the opening quarter, and Ace Bailey’s first bucket just poured salt on the wound. Bailey dribbled quickly up court, with Clippers defenders trailing him, turned on the jets and soared to the basket for an impressive dunk.

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The No. 5 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, that dunk was just one of what will surely be many during Bailey’s NBA career. As of publication, that dunk was the only basket Bailey had scored to this point. With halftime approaching, Bailey had two points, two rebounds and one assists in a little over eight minutes of play. He was shooting 1-of-3 from the field and 0-of-1 from the three-point line.

Bailey declared for the NBA Draft alongside fellow lottery pick Dylan Harper, after only one season of playing college basketball at Rutgers. Despite a disappointing year overall record-wise, it did not have an effect on Bailey’s and Harper’s draft status. Harper was selected with the No. 2 overall pick by the San Antonio Spurs.

Bailey had a rather solid preseason debut with the Jazz, appearing in three games at a little over 26 minutes per game. He averaged 16.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.7 steals with splits of 58.8 percent shooting from the field, 41.7 percent shooting from the three-point line and 100 percent shooting from the free-throw line.