The Utah Jazz just landed a scoring threat to pair with Lauri Markkanen

The Jazz have been stockpiling talent with Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, Isaiah Collier and Walker Kessler, but now they’ve landed a true wing scorer to help accelerate the rebuild. 

Bailey is expected to slide in at small forward, shifting Markkanen back to his natural power forward spot.

For a team coming off the NBA’s worst record, the Jazz couldn’t afford to miss. Bailey, widely regarded as one of the purest scorers in this draft, gives Utah the offensive punch it’s been lacking. 

Even NBA superstar Kevin Durant has raved about his potential.

Last season at Rutgers, Bailey put up 17.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game while shooting 46% from the field and just under 35% from deep. His most impressive game came on a national stage, dropping 37 points in a breakout performance against Northwestern.

Coming out of McEachern High School in Georgia, Bailey was one of the top high school players in the country. He earned a perfect 100 rating from 247Sports and entered college as the No. 2 recruit nationally.

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Still, his path to draft night wasn’t without questions. 

Bailey chose not to participate in pre-draft workouts, even with teams like the Philadelphia 76ers — a franchise widely seen as a potential landing spot. That decision, along with other factors, contributed to him sliding lower in the draft than some expected.

Even so, Bailey’s mix of size, athletic ability, and scoring potential made him an appealing target for Danny Ainge and the Jazz front office, who believe he could develop into a key piece for their young core.

Utah desperately needed help on the wing — scoring, length, and a building block for the future. 

Bailey checks every box. For a fan base still looking for a new face of the franchise following the departures of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, Bailey brings both hope and high expectations.

The Jazz may be years away from contending in the Western Conference, but Thursday night’s pick signals they aren’t standing still.