The Utah Jazz selected Rutgers guard Ace Bailey with the fifth pick in the NBA draft. Afterward he spoke with ESPN's Monica McNutt for a quick interview. First, McNutt asked Bailey how he could be so "cool and confident in this moment" given all the outside noise about his pre-draft process.

A curious and unpredictable predraft process for one of the 2025 NBA Draft's most talented players ended fittingly in a curious and unpredictable way Wednesday night as Ace Bailey, the Rutgers wing who canceled a meeting with the Philadelphia 76ers (who held pick No.

The Utah Jazz drafted Rutgers freshman guard Ace Bailey with the No. 5 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday night. The 18-year-old Bailey, who grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and played his high school basketball in Georgia, averaged 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.3 blocks in his only season with the Scarlet Knights.