Soon-to-be NBA star Ace Bailey makes stunning first move in Utah amid reports he was 'unhappy' to join Jazz
Ace Bailey had the perfect answer to his critics on Saturday as he wasted little time getting in his first workout with the Jazz.
There had been speculation that Bailey could holdout from Utah, as he reportedly preferred to be drafted elsewhere and admitted he had 'no idea' the Jazz were interested in selecting him at No. 5 in Wednesday's NBA Draft.
The noise around Bailey and Utah then got a little louder on Friday when ESPN's Brian Windhorst revealed on SportsCenter that Bailey had had 'minimal contact' with the team and had yet to report to the franchise.
After landing in Salt Lake City on Saturday, however, Bailey quickly won over Jazz fans as the team posted a video of him working out hours later.
In fact, Bailey's suitcase was seen behind the basket as he got some shots up.
'Didn't even unpack his bags…yea he gonna be one of them ones,' one fan said on X.
he wasn't kidding when he said he was 'ready to get to work' #TakeNote | @AiriousB pic.twitter.com/sBKi8EmzY7
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) June 29, 2025
'BRO. This is the best thing I've ever seen. I honestly don't think I've ever been happier as a Jazz fan,' another beamed.
'HIS AIRNESS HAS ARRIVED!!!,' a third added.
And a fourth said: 'I cannot wait to see this kid play!!'
Bailey's pre-draft process became a huge talking point, as he refused to work out for any teams and tried to land himself on the Wizards, Pelicans or Nets according to ESPN's Jonathan Givony.
Prior to the draft, Givony also reported that Bailey's agent, Omar Cooper, had told at least one team in the top five that Bailey would not report if they decided to draft him.
Ahead of Bailey's arrival, a Jazz representative told ESPN on Friday that they've had 'good communication' with Bailey and his representatives ahead of summer league training camp starting on Monday.
'We feel good about everything. Ace and his family are coming to Utah tomorrow,' the Jazz representative told ESPN. 'We'll have a press conference Sunday, and a practice Monday.
'This has always been the plan, including for our other rookies, Walter Clayton and John Tonje - to let them go home and collect their belongings, and then fly right to summer league from Salt Lake City.'
The president of GSE Worldwide (who are representing Bailey in conjunction with Cooper), Andrew Witlieb, also told FOS Today that the ex-Rutgers star was 'thrilled' to be in Utah.
Bailey is set to make his Jazz summer league debut on July 11 against the Hornets.
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