Jazz, Ace Bailey and Summer League
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Walter Clayton Jr. had his opportunity to shine for the Utah Jazz at the Salt Lake Summer League on Tuesday with Ace Bailey out.
The Jazz not only had a productive draft to add Ace Bailey and Walter Clayton Jr. in the first round, but decided to make deals to send out veterans Collin Sexton to the Charlotte Hornets and John Collins to the Los Angeles Clippers, while also buying out longtime franchise fixture Jordan Clarkson for him to take his talents to the New York Knicks.
Brice Sensabaugh had never heard anything like it. He stood at the free throw line as the Utah Jazz fans at the Huntsman Center filled the arena with ‘MVP’ chants — and they were meant for him. He’d heard a crowd jeer and chant ‘overrated’ back when he was in high school, so this was a definite upgrade. But it made him nervous.
Bailey looked far more comfortable and assertive in Game 2, showing off the athleticism and versatility that made him a top-five pick. At 6-foot-8" with a 7-foot wingspan, Bailey grabbed boards with ease, soared for a highlight alley-oop, and added multiple emphatic put-back dunks that got the crowd on its feet.
League matchup between the Philadelphia 76ers and Utah Jazz on Saturday night was interesting for more reasons than one. Not only did these two teams boast top-five selections in the 2025 NBA Draft, but one franchise passed on one player for the other.