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Ace Bailey Reacts to Summer League Debut in Jazz-Sixers Game

Ace Bailey made his NBA Summer League debut against the Sixers.
Justin Grasso|
Mar 9, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Ace Bailey (4) walks off the court after defeating the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Jersey Mike's Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Mar 9, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Ace Bailey (4) walks off the court after defeating the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Jersey Mike's Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

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Philadelphia 76ersUtah Jazz

Out in Salt Lake City, rookies and younger veterans of the Philadelphia 76ers and the Utah Jazz battled it out for what could be viewed as a Summer League preseason. Top 10 picks Ace Bailey and VJ Edgecombe are getting prepared for the Summer League 2K25 run in Las Vegas.

Bailey had himself a quiet Saturday night. In his first taste of NBA Summer League action, Bailey attempted 13 shots from the field, making just three of them. He accounted for eight points. On the glass, Bailey came down with seven rebounds. He also put together an impressive highlight-worthy play with a block on the defensive end.

The first go-round for Bailey didn’t live up to the pre-draft hype, but the rookie said all of the right things during his postgame reaction to Utah’s victory over the Sixers.

"Man, it was great," Bailey said, according to ESPN’s Tim McMahon. "We won too, so that made it a plus. It was fun."

The Jazz defeated the Sixers 93-89.

Ace Bailey has been the talk of the NBA lately, as his pre-draft process generated a lot of buzz. Unfortunately, a lot of the buzz came from a negative angle, and a lot of that had to do with the Sixers getting canceled on late in the process.

Since Bailey was once the 2025 NBA Draft’s consensus third pick, the Sixers strongly considered selecting him after the NBA Draft Lottery. It was only a matter of time before Bailey’s stock took a hit, sending him down some big boards.

Was that a part of the Utah rookie’s strategy to land somewhere other than Philly and a handful of other franchises? That was the assumption.

If that was truly a part of the plan, Bailey’s ultimate goal wasn’t reached. He got past the Sixers and the Charlotte Hornets, but the Jazz took him fifth overall. The pre-draft rumors suggested that Bailey preferred a handful of teams over Utah.

It took some time for Bailey to report to the Utah Jazz’s facility after the draft, adding more fuel to the fire. It was once assumed that Bailey could become a holdout, forcing the Jazz’s hand to consider trading him already. At this point, those rumors are invalid.

Bailey is with the Jazz and participating in the NBA’s Summer League. While his first run with the Jazz could’ve gone better for the top 5 selection, he has plenty of time to get his feet wet ahead of next season, where he’s expected to play a key role for the rebuilding Jazz.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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