Ace Bailey Surprises in 2025 NBA Draft as 5th Pick

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00:00Our first true surprise, the RS came at fifth overall, perhaps a stunner in Ace Bailey going

00:08to the Utah Jazz. The reason I say perhaps a stunner is because all week long, when we were

00:13getting you set for the 2025 NBA draft, we talked about the confounding draft status and stock

00:19of Ace Bailey. Talent, certainly there after an outstanding season at Rutgers. But the way he

00:26conducted himself in the pre-draft process was interesting. Wasn't really interviewing with

00:31teams. And frankly, the RS was either not taking or canceling pre-draft visits and workouts,

00:38including earlier in the week by reports to Salt Lake to visit the Jazz franchise. But Danny Ainge

00:45says, I don't really care, man. And Utah uses that fifth overall selection on Ace Bailey. Again,

00:53from the odds, he was not favored to go one, two, three, four, or five in any of those specific

01:01draft markets. However, Donnie, Ace Bailey closed around a minus 200 favorite to be a top five pick.

01:07And I guess that number was correct. Back in the day, Ben, like growing up watching the NFL in the

01:131980s, you know what teams used to tell other teams and players like, oh, you're disgruntled?

01:18Keep it up. We're sending you to Green Bay. Hey, don't send me there. Don't send me there. I don't

01:22want to go there. Let's get back in line. And basically with Ace Bailey was like, you know

01:26what? There's a couple of teams I don't want to go to, which again, Metropolitan City, Charlotte,

01:30Philadelphia. I don't want to get there, but there's a three team race here, which I wouldn't

01:34mind being. That's Washington, that's New Orleans, and that's Brooklyn. And they came in what here at

01:40six, seven, and eight. And he's saying like, you know what? Job well done. I wasn't going one. I

01:45wasn't going two. The Sixers probably wanted me, but I told them, look, either commit to me or not

01:49commit to me. I don't want to be there. And it's just like, there's other good players here. We don't need

01:52you. Same thing with Charlotte. We don't want to pick a player who technically doesn't want to be

01:56here. I think Con Caniple is a very good fit for us. Then he goes, good. Utah, I told them in every

02:01which way I could, don't you dare pick me. I don't want to go there. My representation doesn't want me

02:06to go there. And if I just make it past Utah, I'm home free, mission accomplished. Yes, it's going to

02:12cost me money, but I'm going where I want to be, where I'm comfortable, where I'm happy. And yes,

02:16I don't blame Danny Ainge one bit because he's under the assumption, where are you going to go?

02:21Overseas, you're going to pout. Are you going to get everything you wish for here in Utah? You're

02:25going to get to be playing on the wing and a position we need. You can get developed. And I

02:30know a little bit about developing really good players from my days back in Boston. And the fact

02:34that they took them here, it is a high risk, high reward motive, because if he doesn't want to be

02:40there and other teams know that you're not going to get as much. So it's an interesting fit right off the

02:45bat where maybe the cooler heads can prevail. You know what? Happy to be in Utah. It's a good

02:49situation, like the coach, like Danny Ainge, like the organization I'm with, and it works out. But

02:54for the fact that he was like, good, I know Utah's not taking me, mission accomplished and Utah took

02:59him. That's a tough scheme. And we'll see how it plays out. That's going to be the fun part, Ben.

03:03And we're going to be the fun part, Ben.

03:07And we've got to play with you by the way, that we're looking forward to the

03:07game and Utah first. And we're looking forward to, Ben.

03:09here.

03:09Yeah.

03:10Yeah.

03:11Yeah.

03:12Yeah.

03:13Yeah.

03:14That's a tough pitch.

03:16That's a tough pitch for you to be, you know.

03:18Yeah.

03:19Yeah.

03:22Yeah.

03:24Yeah.

03:26Yeah.

03:27Yeah.

03:28Yeah.

03:31Yeah.

03:32Yeah.

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