Ace Bailey didn't expect to hear his name called by the Utah Jazz with the No. 5 overall pick on Wednesday night in Brooklyn. Leading up to the 2025 NBA Draft, reports suggested that neither Utah nor Charlotte -- which held the No.

Former Rutgers star reportedly targeted three other teams in the draft, but an ESPN analyst says Utah made the right call.

Arguably no draft expert was higher on the Jazz’s first round selection than Adam Finkelstein, who gave the Jazz an A grade for Bailey and an A- grade for Clayton. Bailey, he wrote, may have the highest upside of any player in the draft.