Jazz Make Shocking Ace Bailey Decision After Summer League Debut
Ace Bailey's NBA career got off to a rocky start, and not just on the court.
The Rutgers product turned plenty of heads when he declined to work out for multiple lottery teams, and his expression when the Utah Jazz drafted him said a thousand words.
Advertisement
There were rumors about Bailey not even reporting for training camp, so the Jazz decided to help ease things up by making a few concessions.
Ace Bailey arrives before the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft.Brad Penner-Imagn Images
They allowed Omar Cooper Jr., the elder son of his agent, Omar Cooper, to be a guest coach for their Summer League team.
That's why the league decided to intervene and, according to ESPN's Tim McMahon, make the Jazz backpedal from this decision:
"The Jazz intended to help ease Bailey's transition to the NBA by having Omar Cooper Jr. -- the son of Bailey's advisor who just finished his career at McNeese State and plans to enter coaching -- serve as an unpaid guest coach during summer league. That plan was called off after the league office contacted the Jazz to raise concerns, sources told ESPN," MacMahon reported.
Advertisement
Bailey's agent has raised some questions over the past couple of months.
Not only is he not an NBPA-accredited agent, but he also has a history of costing his own son, Sharife Cooper, a lot of money and opportunities in the league.
Bailey struggled in his debut, scoring just eight points on 3-of-13 shooting against VJ Edgecombe and the Philadelphia 76ers. He also grabbed seven boards with one assist and one block.
He was always a bit of a gamble and a long-term bet, but with all the outside noise, he will be under a lot of pressure to prove that he's worth the wait.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
NBA》菜市場名換人當！夏季聯賽爆出4個Kobe
不知道你有沒有注意到，NBA 2025年的夏季聯賽出現一個很有趣的現象，那就是已經出現4個名為Kobe的球員登場，讓人不禁好奇Kobe是不是已經成為最新的NBA菜市場名。 夏季聯賽截至目前為止，洛杉磯快艇隊和亞特蘭大老鷹隊都已經分別上陣兩個名為Kobe的球員上場，分別是快艇隊的桑德斯(Kobe Sanders)和布朗(Kobe Brown)，以老鷹隊的巴夫金(Kobe Bufkin)和強森(Kobe Johnson)。 Kobe Bufkin TOOK OVER in the 4th quarter to secure the Hawks 1st summer league dub...29 points3 assists3 stocks (2 3P blocks)15/15 from the FT line64.2 TS%dropped 17 points in the 4th to fuel a clinching 28-9 run — #InSnyderWeTrust (@dlee4three) July 11, 2025 我們不確定這些球員的名字由來，是不是和布萊恩(Kobe Bryant)當年一樣，來自喜歡神戶(Kobe)的雙親，但這些球員的出生年份都在2000年以後，那正是布萊恩迎向巔峰的年代，合理推測他們的名字受到布萊恩啟發的可能性應該比較高。 在NBA歷史上其實有不少菜市場名，包括Chris、Jordan、Josh等都是最常見的名字之一，不過如果講到近年最火熱的菜市場名，絕對非Jalen莫屬了，以2024-25賽季來看，總共有15隊陣中都有至少一個名為Jalen或讀音跟Jalen一樣的球員，例如布朗(Jaylen Brown)、布朗森(Jalen Brunson)、威廉斯(Jalen Williams)等，全聯盟竟有多達28個「杰倫」！ 值得注意的是，Jalen這個名字不僅在NBA很常見，目前在NFL有58個Jalen、NCAA籃球聯盟有322個Jalen、NCAA美式足球也有多達496個Jalen，堪稱Jalen大爆發！ 聯盟官網前陣子曾經試圖探究這股Jalen浪潮到底從何開始，這當然和我們熟悉的那個杰倫無關，很可能是來自退役球員羅斯(Jalen Rose)，自從他在1992年成為密西根大學五虎成員之一後，全美名為Jalen的男孩數量開始迅速暴增，Jalen和Jaylen至今都仍是美國最常見的名字之一。 It's time to reinstate our wins, induct Coach Fisher into the hall of fame and the FAB FIVE TOO!!!!! — Jalen Rose (@JalenRose) July 2, 2021 羅斯在大學時代和韋伯(Chris Webber)、霍華德(Juwan Howard)、金恩(Jimmy King)、傑克森(Ray Jackson)組成的密西根五虎，可說是名滿全美，這5個大一新生組成的先發陣容，竟然勇闖最終決賽，雖然沒能奪冠，但已經在美國籃球歷史留下一頁，當時以6呎8吋身高擔綱控球後衛的羅斯，一度被視為學長魔術強森(Magic Johnson)的接班人，不過他後來到NBA打球13年，從未入選過全明星賽，也沒拿過冠軍，生涯唯一值得說嘴的成就大概就是1999-00賽季的最佳進步獎。
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
"How do you rein in Kobe?" - Lakers insider reveals Andrew Bynum's question to front office during extension talks
"How do you rein in Kobe?" - Lakers insider reveals Andrew Bynum's question to front office during extension talks originally appeared on Basketball Network. Playing with Kobe Bryant was both a blessing and a curse, and Andrew Bynum experienced this during his tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers. In his extension negotiation with the Lakers front office in 2012, Bynum wanted clarity on whether Kobe would step aside. Advertisement "Andrew's question in contract talks was: 'How are you going to rein in Kobe?'" an anonymous Lakers insider told ESPN's Henry Abbott. "We couldn't give direct answers. My immediate thought was, Well, he doesn't want to play with Kobe if we can't answer that question." The silence only meant one thing: There was no stopping Kobe from doing things his way, and the Lakers brass understood that. L.A. failed to extend the 7-footer beyond 2012-13, so they sent him to Philadelphia in the trade that brought Dwight Howard to Hollywood. Bynum believed Bryant held him back By the time he was dealt, Bynum had emerged as one of the league's top centers, averaging close to 19 points, 12 boards and two blocks in 2011-12. He and Bryant had already won two titles, and some felt his size could've made a difference in the 2008 Finals. Advertisement Looking back on his time with the Lakers, Bynum explained how playing with the Black Mamba was a double-edged sword. "I thought it really helped me a lot, obviously at first, because he draws so much attention it's hard for guys to double-team and key on you, so it helped me tremendously," Bynum told a group of reporters, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "Later, I felt I was able to get the ball more and do more things with the ball, so I could definitely see how it could stunt growth." Bynum entered the league straight out of high school and made steady strides every year. By 2012, he had developed into a polished low-post scorer with solid instincts on both ends of the floor. It's not hard to imagine him taking another leap if the offense had been tailored more around him. Interestingly, Bryant understood where Bynum came from. He drew parallels to his time with Shaquille O'Neal and preached sacrifice when there is more than one mouth to feed on the basketball court. Advertisement "Same thing with me and Shaq," the two-time Finals MVP stated. "You kind of offset each other to a certain extent. So, I mean, that's true. When he gets back and he's healthy, he'll come out here and he'll be the focal point of their attack and he'll be getting the ball more and you'll see big games from him more consistently." Unfortunately, 2011-12 was Bynum's last healthy season. He never suited up in a Sixers uniform unless a press conference with him holding up Philly's blue jersey counts. Andrew played one more season, spending time between Cleveland and Indiana until he was out of the league for good. Related: "The problem is that the weakest part of his game is better than what 90 percent of the other players can do" - Bob Cousy was in awe of Larry Bird leading the NBA in 3-pointers Nobody wanted to play with Kobe Abbott's original ESPN Magazine piece focused on Bryant's final years and the belief that his presence drove away star free agents. From LeBron James and Paul George to Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh, the Lakers struck out on every major name — and ended up signing a past-his-prime Carlos Boozer instead. Advertisement Abbott also detailed L.A.'s meeting with Howard in 2013 and how Bryant practically dashed any hope of re-signing the two-time Defensive Player of the Year. "As the Lakers' contingent settled into the conference room's ergonomic chairs," Abbott wrote. "It was clear that two-time MVP point guard Steve Nash, in a nice crisp shirt, listening attentively, was running Kupchak's game plan. But Bryant showed up, according to a person in the room, in "hoops shorts, a T-shirt and a gold chain." He had also packed an attitude." Howard raised concerns about being the media scapegoat during the Lakers' disappointing season, but Bryant didn't offer much support. He tried to teach Howard how to toughen up and understand what winning demands, but it wasn't the message Dwight wanted to hear. Days later, Howard signed with the Houston Rockets. Kobe was notoriously hard to play with, but he never denied that. In his mind, the Lakers were the gold standard, demanding sacrifice, accountability, and a mindset that didn't flinch when things got uncomfortable. To Bryant, passing the torch meant handing it to someone who understood that pressure was supposed to be the lifestyle now. Advertisement Bryant never cared much about being liked; he cared about who could handle the weight of being a Laker. If that turned off certain stars, so be it. Related: Rick Fox explains why Kobe never hung out with other teammates: "He was on a course and any minute or day wasted doing something else was going to slow him down getting to that point" This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Myles Turner Gives Blunt Answer About Return to Indiana After Leaving the Pacers
Myles Turner Gives Blunt Answer About Return to Indiana After Leaving the Pacers originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Myles Turner is heading into a brand new chapter with the Bucks, but don't think for a second he's left everything from Indiana behind. Sure, the Pacers made a surprise run all the way to the finals last season, but for Turner, that wasn't enough to stick around; he knew he needed a fresh start somewhere else. Advertisement And now, with a clean slate in Milwaukee, he's still got a few things to get off his chest. Turner hasn't forgotten the heat he took back in Indy, and judging by what he just said, he's making sure nobody else forgets it either. In a chat with NBA TV, Turner spoke about his departure, and the criticism he received during his time with the Pacers. He said, 'I don't know what to expect, I really don't. I think it's gonna be half-and-half. Even my time there (in Indy), there were a lot of people who wanted me to be off the team, and now they got what they wanted, and now they're complaining still.' Turner didn't exactly name names, but it's no secret he's been tangled up in trade rumors for years. At 6'11" with serious rim protection skills, he was always on someone's wishlist and the Pacers didn't do much to quiet the noise. Advertisement Still, no one really thought he'd bail just as Indy was peaking, making the East Finals in 2024 and then the NBA Finals in 2025. Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner reacts during Game 6 of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on June 19, Ruszkowski-Imagn Images He and Haliburton were supposed to be the future. But now, he's teaming up with Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee, ready to prove everyone wrong. He's got receipts and he plans to cash in. Related: Myles Turner Eyes NBA Championship With Bucks This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
