Ace Bailey’s Strategy May Have Cost Him $9M—and Preferred Team

Ace Bailey drew a great deal of attention leading up to the NBA draft. The Rutgers star was once expected to be the No. 3 pick—but he declined to work out for most teams, including the Sixers, Hornets, and Jazz, who held pick Nos. 3, 4, and 5.

According to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, Bailey and his representatives “preferred” that the forward land with the Wizards, Pelicans, or Nets, the teams that held pick Nos. 6, 7, and 8. 

Bailey’s strategy was not necessarily new. Just last year, center Alex Sarr declined to work out with the Hawks despite Atlanta holding the No. 1 pick. Sarr’s plan worked as Atlanta selected Sarr’s fellow Frenchman Zaccharie Risacher, and the 7-footer fell to the Wizards at No. 2.

Perhaps the most prominent example of a player strong-arming his way out of a team in the draft was in 1999 when the Vancouver Grizzlies selected Steve Francis with the No. 2 pick. Francis said he did not want to play for Vancouver—then the league’s newest expansion team—and was traded to Houston before playing a single minute for the Grizzlies.

But the tactic doesn’t always lead to the player’s desired outcome, and Bailey served as the latest example.

When NBA commissioner Adam Silver read out “Airious ‘Ace’ Bailey” on Wednesday, the selection was made by Utah at No. 5. Bailey said after the draft that he had “no idea” that the Jazz were going to select him.

ESPN reported that teams were “perplexed” at the strategy of Bailey and his camp to dodge workouts. Teams and analysts appeared to be skeptical of his representation, led by agent Omar Cooper, a relative newcomer compared to big-name agencies like CAA, which represents No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg, and WME, which represents No. 2 pick Dylan Harper.

It isn’t all bad news for Bailey and his team, however, as he will earn $3.8 million more over his four-year rookie contract than if he was selected with the No. 6 pick and nearly $10 million more than if he fell to Brooklyn at No. 8. As we wrote Wednesday night, however, he cost himself more than $9 million relative to the contract due to the third pick.

As Givony pointed out on ESPN’s broadcast, Wednesday’s outcome may end up being a blessing in disguise because the Jazz are set up to give Bailey a chance to become a star.

“I think Ace Bailey’s going to recover from this quickly and realize he landed in an outstanding situation with the Utah Jazz,” Givony said.