Ace Bailey became the most discussed draftee in the last June’s draft after he reportedly refused workouts with some teams. He was projected to get picked within Top 3 but was selected fifth overall by the Utah Jazz.
Reports have it that his camp made it clear to teams picking inside Top 5 to not pick. An NBA insider came out with new details concerning this drama. Marc Stein said Bailey wanted the Wizards to pick him.
“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,” he wrote in an article for his website The Stein Line.
“The Wizards had the sixth overall pick. 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.”
Wizards picked sixth overall and used it to get Tre Johnson, a 19-year-old shooting guard who played for the Texas Longhorns.
Bailey is in the NBA now and he made it clear that he is committed to playing for the Utah Jazz.
Ace Bailey not on ROY shortlist
He talked to team officials about how does not want to play for them and now, it seems the executives are not really sold on his talent.
Twenty executives were asked who will possibly win the Rookie of the Year Award and Bailey did not get any vote. No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks is the runaway winner while Don Knueppel got one vote.
ESPN wrote:
Not surprisingly, Flagg ran away from the field as one of the most anticipated prospects to come into the NBA in recent memory, possibly trailing only Wembanyama in that category.
The only reason this vote wasn’t unanimous was because of a Western Conference assistant coach instead giving the nod to Flagg’s former Duke teammate, Knuppel, to have a strong debut season with the Charlotte Hornets.
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