Did Ace Bailey push for a trade to Washington Wizards? NBA insider reveals Jazz rookie's pre-draft antics

One of the biggest storylines coming out of the 2025 NBA Draft was Ace Bailey's alleged refusal to work out for a number of teams. Now, an NBA insider has confirmed multiple reports on Bailey's pre-draft antics.

According to Marc Stein, Bailey and his team were indeed making moves to try to ensure that he would be drafted by his preferred ball club.

"It's been revealed: Ace Bailey refused pre-draft workouts from all interested teams to try to force his way to the Washington Wizards at No. 6, per @TheSteinLine," Legion Hoops CEO Jacob Ortiz tweeted on Monday.

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Right around the time of the draft, there were reports about Bailey's refusal to work out for teams like the Philadelphia 76ers and Utah Jazz, both of which owned top five selections. When asked about his decision to skip these workouts, the former Rutgers star gave noncommittal responses, talking about controlling what he can control and "focusing on basketball."

Ironically, Bailey's plan didn't work. While the 76ers passed on him and took Baylor standout VJ Edgecombe, the Jazz ended up taking Bailey with the no. 5 pick, despite his refusal to work out with them.

A week later, the Jazz signed Bailey and no. 18 pick Walter Clayton Jr. to their rookie deals. During a Utah Summer League matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies, Bailey had 18 points (50% shooting from the field), seven rebounds, and three assists to help the Jazz secure a 112-111 win.

Time will tell if the Jazz will be able to help Bailey reach his full potential. For now, the scenario of Bailey playing for the Wizards will remain a what-if scenario.

Ace Bailey gets snubbed by coaches and executives in Rookie of the Year poll

This past weekend, ESPN released an offseason survey covering topics like MVP predictions and speculations on LeBron James' potential landing spot in 2026. One of the questions in this survey was: Who will be Rookie of the Year?

For what it's worth, Bailey did not get a single vote among the 20 coaches, scouts, and executives responding to this question. Top draft pick Cooper Flagg got 19 votes, while his former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel received one vote.

Bailey, however, did get one vote for the question "Who will be the best player from the class of 2025 in five years?" Flagg, meanwhile, got 18 votes for this question.

Edited by Simoun Victor Redoblado