Ace Bailey put more effort into steering himself to a preferred NBA Draft destination than most prospects, and it involved taking a fairly bold stance against at least one team.
Bailey’s representatives told at least one team picking in the top five not to select the player, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN. The player’s camp even said that if the team in question took him anyway, Bailey would refuse to report.
It is unclear which team Bailey’s representatives said this to, as he did not work out for any of the teams picking within the top five. The Utah Jazz defied expectations and selected him No. 5 overall anyway, and he did not necessarily look happy about it.
The prevailing wisdom before the draft was that Bailey had hoped to land with the Washington Wizards at No. 6. His workout strategy was a big pre-draft story, and there were suggestions that he wanted to land with a team where he would immediately be the primary scoring option.
Bailey’s handling of the process prompted some criticism, including from at least one active NBA star.
We do not know if the Jazz were the team Bailey was trying not to be drafted by, and we also cannot be sure how serious this threat was. It would have been a risk for any team to call his bluff, though if it is opportunity he wants, Utah can at least provide him with that.
