Utah Jazz's Ace Bailey Lands Intriguing ROTY Odds

With summer league in the books for the Utah Jazz, it marks the last time fifth-overall pick Ace Bailey has taken the floor until his rookie season gets rolling later in October after missing his final six games of action in the summer due to a hip injury.

However, while a bit limited in the past two weeks, Bailey should be more than ready to go for his first year in the mix once the regular season finally kicks off, and when it does, sportsbooks have pinned him among the top names to watch in this year's Rookie of the Year race.

FanDuel Sportsbook released their latest odds for this coming season's Rookie of the Year award for both Bailey and the rest of the field, where Ace Bailey found himself tied for the third-best odds to capture the award at +1000 odds.

Ahead of Bailey only reside two names: Washington Wizards' sixth-overall pick Tre Johnson, who's at +650, and the clear favorite within the mix, Dallas Mavericks' first-overall Cooper Flagg at a staggering -170. Tied with Bailey is Dylan Harper and VJ Edgecombe, both also at +1000.

Beyond those five, it's a bit of a wash, but it puts the Jazz rookie into a clear running to have a shot at taking home the hardware.

For Bailey to do so, it'd have to rely on a few factors, whether it be getting quickly physically adjusted to the pro level at just 18 years old, while also moving his way up the ladder of Jazz scoring options in year one. It'd be a rapid transition for the Rutgers product to go from pick five to a Rookie of the Year candidate off rip, but with the steep ceiling he was advertised to have as an offensive creator and three-level scorer, the outcome could be one that's plausible with the right steps in development.

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

Bailey has already shown some glimpses of strong production in the limited reps he had during the Salt Lake City Summer League, as he finished his second game vs. the Memphis Grizzlies logging 18 points, seven rebounds, and three assists with a trio of three-pointers in the process. Of course, it's just summer league, but a good sign of things to come nonetheless.

In the end, to see Bailey overcome a top-end favorite like Flagg for the award would be a challenging feat, as it will be for any other first-year player in the fold, considering he's nearly -200 for the honors over two months away from the season tipping off. But with a hot start and a big role early, anything is possible for Utah's top prospect.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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