Even though there have been numerous reports stating that Ace Bailey did not want to be selected by the Jazz, the player has assured ever since that he never considered forcing a trade or even holding out after he was drafted to Utah as the No. 5 overall pick. 

Now that the young star has arrived in Salt Lake City, he’s confronted the press’ relentless interrogations about his decisions during his introductory conference. The 18-year-old had even been previously criticized for his pre-draft process, in which he refused to work out for teams interested in his talents.

“Just blessed to be in the position I am,” Bailey responded when asked about his current situation. Before last week’s draft, the former Rutgers star declined invitations to train with Charlotte and Utah, and went all the way to cancel a scheduled workout in Philadelphia.

Nevertheless, the Jazz were determined to use their lottery pick on him, despite rumours circling his camp. Alongside the young power forward, No. 18 pick Walter Clayton Jr. and No. 53 pick John Tonje are also joining the team, all considered prolific scorers.

Jazz president of basketball operations Austin Ainge couldn’t be happier. “This is a dream scenario for us,” he shared during Monday’s conference. “These are guys we targeted before the draft with high potential and high character, and we couldn’t be more excited.”

According to the Utah executive, all three rookies are versatile and can also make an impact on defense. “These guys can play on both ends,” Ainge explained. “We’re looking for the best combination of all the skills we can. But, yeah, these guys can put the ball in the hole.”

During Ace’s lone campaign with the Scarlet Knights, he averaged 17.6 points and 7.2 rebounds,  shooting 34.6% from threes. “I got great energy,” Bailey guaranteed. “I can do everything from rebounding to defense to scoring to passing. So I can say I can bring it a lot in different ways.”

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