Ace Bailey

[FarBeyondDriven]

this isn't the first time a prospect steered himself to a desired destination. Kobe did, Luka did it, Haliburton did it, hell Sarr did it last year. And I can't fault them since these young men have very little leverage and are sent to work oftentimes to places they have zero interest in being. If Ace is successful and ends up with the Wizards or Nets where he'd be the #1 guy then he'll be maximizes his chances of being a max player. Nothing worse for a young player than to get drafted and be buried and not able to develop. Good for Ace.

[76ciology]

[GatherStepGuru]

Ace is reportedly turning down pre-draft workouts. It sounds as though Ace is trying to slide down a few spots or get someone to trade up for him.

If I'm the Jazz, I probably have Tre Johnson ranked slightly ahead of Ace, but if VJ and Tre are both gone, and Ace is on the board at #5, I'd still probably take Ace.

If he drops to #5, I hope that the Jazz find another team willing to pay dearly to move up.

New Orleans and Washington will probably make a run at him. If I'm the Jazz, I'm not trading back more than a spot or two, and that assumes I'm completely enamored with Fears or Kon. Jazz should just take Tre Johnson and move on...

Was thinking/hoping the Wizards and Will Dawkins talked to him. They did the same thing last year. Told Sarr not to work out for ATL and he fell to 2. Maybe the Wiz convinced him he’s not falling past 6, and he has a chance to be the man here.

After the draft, everyone will forget he sat out. There will probably be actual trades on draft night, like a KD trade, that overshadows this.

[zero rings]

It sounds to me like he’s just a dumb guy who is dodging workouts because of how bad of an interview he is.

Who was the last truly dumb player to be a star in the NBA?

[vincecarter4pres]

It sounds to me like he’s just a dumb guy who is dodging workouts because of how bad of an interview he is.

Who was the last truly dumb player to be a star in the NBA?

Perception-wise?

Anthony Edwards.

He came across like a total ignoramus during most of his interviews, who wished he was in the NFL draft.

[Catchall]

Jazz still might draft him at 5... or have Morey take him at #3 and trade him to the Jazz.

[SkyHook]

Jazz still might draft him at 5... or have Morey take him at #3 and trade him to the Jazz.

For Cam Whitmore 2.0? I'll pass, thanks. If he drops to #5, I hope that there's a team within a few picks that's desperate to move up.

[Catchall]

Jazz still might draft him at 5... or have Morey take him at #3 and trade him to the Jazz.

For Cam Whitmore 2.0? I'll pass, thanks. If he drops to #5, I hope that there's a team within a few picks that's desperate to move up.

Ace is more talented than Cam Whitmore.

[SkyHook]

Jazz still might draft him at 5... or have Morey take him at #3 and trade him to the Jazz.

For Cam Whitmore 2.0? I'll pass, thanks. If he drops to #5, I hope that there's a team within a few picks that's desperate to move up.

Ace is more talented than Cam Whitmore.

I'm unconvinced. I'll be somewhat surprised if he isn't a bust.

Whitmore was slated in the top 5 before sliding, then falling like a stone on draft day. And the Josh Jackson comparison still might be the most spot on.

[EvanZ]

Ace Bailing

[dawhizz]

this isn't the first time a prospect steered himself to a desired destination. Kobe did, Luka did it, Haliburton did it, hell Sarr did it last year. And I can't fault them since these young men have very little leverage and are sent to work oftentimes to places they have zero interest in being. If Ace is successful and ends up with the Wizards or Nets where he'd be the #1 guy then he'll be maximizes his chances of being a max player. Nothing worse for a young player than to get drafted and be buried and not able to develop. Good for Ace.

Except he hasn’t worked out for a single team, which means he hasn’t even agreed to work out for whatever team or teams he considers his “desired destination(s)”. So how are you going to convince a team to come up to draft you or take you in the face of all this noise without showing them you want to be there?

[FarBeyondDriven]

this isn't the first time a prospect steered himself to a desired destination. Kobe did, Luka did it, Haliburton did it, hell Sarr did it last year. And I can't fault them since these young men have very little leverage and are sent to work oftentimes to places they have zero interest in being. If Ace is successful and ends up with the Wizards or Nets where he'd be the #1 guy then he'll be maximizes his chances of being a max player. Nothing worse for a young player than to get drafted and be buried and not able to develop. Good for Ace.

Except he hasn’t worked out for a single team, which means he hasn’t even agreed to work out for whatever team or teams he considers his “desired destination(s)”. So how are you going to convince a team to come up to draft you or take you in the face of all this noise without showing them you want to be there?

Maybe he's happy to fall to one of those teams but is obviously hoping one of them can trade up for him so he can go higher and by having workouts with a single team or just a couple, he'd be telegraphing where he wishes to go which hurts that team in negotiations. It's a balancing act. There's enough tape and he's had the combine and interviews so team's have plenty of ammunition to make the decision. Teams take players they don't work out all the time.

[ecuhus1981]

this isn't the first time a prospect steered himself to a desired destination. Kobe did, Luka did it, Haliburton did it, hell Sarr did it last year. And I can't fault them since these young men have very little leverage and are sent to work oftentimes to places they have zero interest in being. If Ace is successful and ends up with the Wizards or Nets where he'd be the #1 guy then he'll be maximizes his chances of being a max player. Nothing worse for a young player than to get drafted and be buried and not able to develop. Good for Ace.

Except he hasn’t worked out for a single team, which means he hasn’t even agreed to work out for whatever team or teams he considers his “desired destination(s)”. So how are you going to convince a team to come up to draft you or take you in the face of all this noise without showing them you want to be there?

IF you believe in the veracity of this strategy, you could say that Ace doesn't want to tip his hand as to which team he desires, or to take leverage out of that team's hand. If Bailey only works out for Brooklyn, and pulls this stunt with everyone else, then teams will know he's angling for the Nets to draft him, perhaps the Nets are happy to let him fall to them instead of having to pay to trade up for him. The other team could then draft Ace and attempt to squeeze Brooklyn for extra assets to trade for him.

Again, IF you believe that this is what he is doing. I'm not sure.

[tontoz]

How many guys in this draft could get this block

Watch on YouTube

[WinterSoldier]

https://www.si.com/nba/jazz/news/new-report-reveals-ace-bailey-s-interest-utah-jazz

The media just creates narratives based on nothing it seems. Now their saying Ace wants to play for the Jazz. I guess the draft silliness is in full swing now.

[MemphisX]

Every draft season traditional NBA agents unleash wild rumors against every prospect that does not select one of the clique to represent them. And journalists they leak stuff to help them do this. All so they can point at prospects torpedoing their draft stock by not selecting the "right representation".

[FarBeyondDriven]

I think the Sixers take Ace #3 and a team (Wizards, Pelicans, Nets) draft who the Sixers want. Basically exactly like the pre-draft trade between the Mavs and Hawks involving Luka and Trae. This way Ace still gets paid and gets to go to his team of choice and the Sixers save a little money, still get a guy they want and more depending on the trade.

[Catchall]

Ace backed out of a late workout with the Jazz, which I think would have needed to take place on Monday afternoon, the day before the draft. His camp feels comfortable with their position ahead of the draft. There's been some noise about the Jazz liking Fears, but I still think the Jazz would take Tre or Ace, whomever gets to #5.

[tontoz]

I think the Sixers take Ace #3 and a team (Wizards, Pelicans, Nets) draft who the Sixers want. Basically exactly like the pre-draft trade between the Mavs and Hawks involving Luka and Trae. This way Ace still gets paid and gets to go to his team of choice and the Sixers save a little money, still get a guy they want and more depending on the trade.

I don't think they can do that and be sure that the guy they want will be there at 6-8. If there is a guy they really like they probably just have to take him at 3. Vegas odds say that guy is VJ.

[Warspite]

Looks like Ace is so bad at interviews and workouts that his team is going dark in a panic move to stop the slide.

Afterall losing 3 inches can destroy a man's confidence.