Bailey has received scrutiny from how he and his representation have gone about the draft process, including from ESPN analyst Scott Van Pelt. Though Van Pelt likes Bailey as a player, he found the way Bailey and his team went about the draft to be "ridiculous."

Ace Bailey’s attempt to maneuver his way to Washington, New Orleans or Brooklyn backfired when the Jazz selected him with the No. 5 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday night, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. The Jazz plan to keep Bailey, according to Givony, even though they were not a “preferred” destination.

Ace Bailey will report to the Utah Jazz this weekend after being selected by the franchise with the No. 5 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, the team told ESPN's Jonathan Givony on Friday.