Ace Bailey arrives in Utah amid NBA Draft drama

The 2025 NBA Draft was full of storylines, from the Mavericks drafting Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick to Javon Small's grandfather getting emotional after the 48th pick. But an incoming NBA star has caused the most intrigue during this entire process.

The Utah Jazz picked Ace Bailey with the 5th overall pick, despite him reportedly telling the team he didn't want to go there. The Jazz called his and his agent's bluff, and it seemed like trouble might be brewing after it was reported that Bailey hadn't gone to Utah immediately after being drafted.

RELATED: Ace Bailey's post-draft comments brought anxiety to Utah Jazz fans

Bailey put all the speculation to rest on Saturday, after a video of him officially arriving in Utah went viral. The Rutgers man may have wanted to go somewhere that wasn't the Jazz, but he's made the smart decision by not further antagonizing the team that picked him or their fans.

In his sole college season, Bailey averaged 17.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in the Big Ten Conference. He was widely expected to be among the top three picks, but the work that he and his agent have done saw two teams pass on the opportunity to draft the forward.

The 18-year-old has a long career ahead of him, and it seems that it won't begin on the sour note that some feared. Utah will be a great team for Ace to develop as they continue to try and build a solid young core for the future.

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