Ace Bailey recently confirmed that he has cut ties with controversial agent Omar Cooper this offseason. According to the Utah Jazz rookie, he had to do it after the chaos he experienced in the build-up to the 2025 NBA Draft.
“I feel like I just made the best decision to move forward, to better me and my family, and the position that way,” Bailey told Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune.
Before the split, Bailey and Cooper shared a deep bond, as the former was part of the latter’s AAU program. When it was time to make the jump to the NBA, Cooper reportedly ordered Bailey to avoid predraft workouts and interviews with several teams (which Bailey denied) since he wanted the former Rutgers wing to go to the Washington Wizards.
As it turns out, the Utah Jazz couldn’t resist Bailey’s upside, so they took him with the fifth overall pick, and the 19-year-old guard can’t wait to get started in the NBA.
Utah Jazz News: Will Hardy sends clear message to Ace Bailey for this upcoming season
Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy has high hopes for Ace Bailey in his rookie season. While he knows that Bailey is a dynamic scorer, Hardy feels that he has the tools to become an effective two-way player in the NBA.
“On the defensive side of the ball, he needs to use his length to be disruptive. He may be a little bit younger physically from a strength standpoint, but we’ve not had a wing with his size and length in this building in a long time,” Hardy said about Bailey on Media Day.
“On the offensive side, it’s going to be about making quick decisions. What shots he shoots, and what actions he runs. Those things will be changing a little bit, but I just want him to not apply too much pressure to himself to blow everyone away on the first day,” he continued.
