Utah Jazz’s Ace Bailey Stands Out in NBA 2K26 Rookie Ratings

As the 2025-26 NBA season slowly approaches, with it also comes a new edition of the NBA 2K franchise, which is now just under a month away from its official release on September 7th.

And with the release of NBA 2K26 around the corner, we've also started to see a few player ratings be unveiled around the league, stacking up the league's top talents, and even including the likes of this year's rookie class to evaluate where this season's first-year talents may stand among the best in the world.

In the case of Utah Jazz fifth-overall pick Ace Bailey, it was uncovered earlier this summer that he would start out as a 77 overall. For those unfamiliar, that's a relatively strong rating for any rookie heading into their first year, but especially so when comparing his numbers to the rest of his surrounding class.

NBA 2K recently revealed this year's top ten rookie ratings ahead of next month's release, where even as the fifth pick off the board in June's draft, he was still seen as the third-best-rated rookie with his 77 overall.

The future is bright 🤩

Here are the Top 10 rookies entering the League in #NBA2K26 pic.twitter.com/EeQOe6zIAx
— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) August 12, 2025

The only two names to place above Bailey were the top two picks: Dallas Mavericks' Cooper Flagg, who explodes onto the scene with an 82 overall rating, while San Antonio Spurs' Dylan Harper ranked one point ahead of Bailey with a 78.

Behind him was this year's third-overall pick, VJ Edgecombe of the Philadelphia 76ers at a 76 as the fourth-best rookie, as well as a tie for that fifth spot amongst Charlotte Hornets' Kon Knueppel and Washington Wizards' Tre Johnson.

Based on Bailey's stock heading into this year's draft, it's not absurd to view him as one of the best three incoming rookies, considering he was projected to be a top-three pick throughout the entire previous college season before the infamous events of his pre-draft process eventually took place.

Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Ace Bailey stands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the fifth pick by the Utah Jazz in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

In the end, Bailey found his way to the Jazz at five, giving Utah a rookie with an abundance of talent and potential, especially on the offensive end, and someone who could eventually progress into a solid impact player during his first year pro.

if he does manage to do just that, expect that 77 rating to reach even higher, but for now, Bailey's still seen as among the best incoming rookies in the eyes of 2K–– probably another good sign of things soon to come in Utah.

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