The intrigue and questions about Ace Bailey’s NBA Draft status are over.
The Utah Jazz selected the former Rutgers star with the fifth-overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday, June 25 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Bailey’s selection came just three picks after the San Antonio Spurs drafted his former Scarlet Knights teammate Dylan Harper with the second-overall pick.
Harper and Bailey became the 25th and 26th former Rutgers players, respectively, to be drafted and the fifth and sixth to go in the first round.
But while Harper’s status was relatively certain – the expectation had been all along that the Spurs would take him after the Dallas Mavericks selected former Duke star Cooper Flagg with the first pick – Bailey’s destination was more uncertain.
Bailey’s camp drew plenty of confusion and opened itself up for second-guessing when he cancelled a workout with the Sixers – Bailey reportedly did not participate in a private workout with any NBA team prior to the Draft, a highly unusual move.
But now none of that matters.
Bailey is in the NBA.
There’s little question about the 6-foot-8, 203-pound Bailey’s potential with his elite athleticism, creative shot-making and highly coveted length – the type that’s garnered himself comparisons to Kevin Durant.
Bailey showed during his time in a Rutgers uniform why he’s been projected as a lottery pick for a while.
He averaged 17.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. He shot 46.0 percent from the floor and 34.6 percent from beyond the arc.
Bailey, a Tennessee native who played high school basketball in Georgia at McEachern High School, was the No. 2 ranked prospect nationally for the Class of 2024, per the 247Sports Composite.
He committed to Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell on Jan. 15, 2023 following a Scarlet Knights home win over Ohio State, a major recruiting victory for a program that hadn’t been a top destination for the nation’s best recruits.
Despite having two lottery picks in Bailey and Harper, Rutgers 15-17 overall and 8-12 against Big Ten competition.
But that never dented Bailey’s NBA potential, and scouts regularly made the trip to Piscataway to see both Bailey and Harper in person.
Bailey has NBA size. He has NBA potential.
Now he’s going to have the chance to showcase that.
Bailey’s pre-draft concerns are over.
He’s officially in the NBA.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Ace Bailey selected by Jazz with No. 5 pick in 2025 NBA Draft