Rutgers' Ace Bailey never considered snubbing Jazz, agent's draft warning gamble nearly backfired

Ace Bailey has been the talk of the town ever since he was drafted fifth overall by the Utah Jazz on Wednesday. Throughout the draft process, Bailey received backlash for refusing to participate in workouts with any teams. The only workout he was scheduled for ended up being canceled. However, his agent didn’t see this as a problem.

“No one said anything when Davion Mitchell canceled a workout with the Toronto Raptors for the No. 4 pick. No one criticized Evan Mobley when he didn't work out for Cleveland, and they drafted him anyway,” said Omar Cooper, Bailey’s agent. "There is nothing uncommon about how Ace Bailey's predraft process was handled."

Cooper even went as far as to warn teams within the top five not to draft Bailey, or he wouldn’t report. When Bailey didn’t travel to Utah immediately after being selected, it further fueled speculation about his commitment to the franchise. However, this draft strategy isn't without precedent — it mirrors one used by NBA great Stephen Curry.

“Ace Bailey story reminds me about Stephen Curry‘s father and agent asking the Warriors not to draft him in 2009 with the seventh pick so he could go to the Knicks with the next pick. Steph also didn’t workout for Warriors. Undeterred Warriors GM Larry Riley drafted Steph anyway,” ESPN’s Marc J. Spears wrote.

In the end, Bailey arrived in Utah on Saturday. On Sunday, he held a press conference alongside his fellow draftees. The 18-year-old from Chattanooga, Tennessee was asked whether he had truly considered not playing for the Jazz.

“No. Not at all," Bailey said of considering not coming to Utah. "Just blessed to be in the position I am. Not a lot of people can sit in these chairs, and have great teammates that came on with me. So, I'm just blessed to be here."

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Bailey’s comments now cast some doubt on what his agent was attempting to accomplish. Perhaps Cooper believed the strategy would ultimately benefit his client, but it nearly turned into a major misstep. While Bailey appears eager to embrace his opportunity in Utah, it seems his agent tried to make a risky power play that could have backfired.