Ace Bailey Could be Missing Piece for Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz have offered one of the more intriguing teams in the NBA over the last handful of seasons.

In trading off stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert seasons ago, they bolstered their draft pick reserves, essentially planning to undergo a rebuild.

Over the last handful of years they’ve done just that, adding young talents like Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks, Isaiah Collier, Kyle Filipowski, Cody Williams and more. While it hasn’t yet translated to wins, the team is certainly stockpiling young players that stand to get better over the next handful of years.

Most recently, the Jazz were able to add Ace Bailey and Walter Clayton Jr. at the 2025 NBA Draft. Per many experts, one of the better hauls league-wide.

Despite that relative fiasco that’s accompanied Bailey’s draft process, he now offers Utah one of the best players in the class, with decent value having gone No. 5 overall.

A 6-foot-9 wing with premier two-way ability, Bailey averaged 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.0 steals per game as a five-star at Rutgers, shooting 46% overall and 35% from three.

He’s a tall and lanky wing, capable of doing the brunt of his work completely on the perimeter. He’s among the best shot-makers seen in the last decade, able to rise over defenders with a high, smooth release.

Per an earlier scouting report from NBA Draft on SI regarding Bailey: "A creative shot-maker, Bailey has the ability to generate looks for himself in isolation and known down very advanced shots. His jumper is fluid and projects to translate moving forward, even as the 3-point line continues to get deeper. He’s also a better facilitator for others than he gets credit for, making him a legitimate offensive engine."

The Jazz have seen a number young players score the ball solidly — including George, Filipowski, Brice Sensabaugh, and more — but none have shown to have true No. 1 potential just yet. With veterans in Lauri Markkanen, John Collins and Collin Sexton continuing to lead the team in scoring.

Bailey, with size, athleticism, shooting ability and plenty more, could offer the team’s No. 1 scoring option down the line. Or in the least, one of the top options.

Plenty of development is still needed for Bailey to reach his high-end outcome. But he’s undoubtedly the best prospect Utah’s seen in some time.

Jazz fans now look to Salt Lake City Summer League in just over a week, where Bailey, Clayton and more will take to the court to prove themselves.