Will Ace Bailey's standoff with Utah Jazz ruin his NBA career?

Yahoo Sports senior NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor and contributing writer Tom Haberstroh discuss Ace Bailey’s reported failure to fly to Utah after being drafted by Jazz and how that could affect the start of his career. Subscribe to “The Kevin O’Connor Show” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.

Video Transcript

A lot of great reactions, people tearing up, realizing their dreams, and then you see Ace Bailey wearing a Utah Jazz hat.

He’s not happy.

He didn’t want to go to Utah, it seems.

What a start to his NBA career here, man.

What do you make of this whole situation for Utah and Ace Bailey?

I think the Utah journalists are trying to figure out who is representing Ace Bailey, where is he getting his advice here to start his career where he becomes a top 5 NBA pick and then is seemingly trying to Strong arm, Danny Ainge and his son.

It’s not a great fit in terms of the style of play, but they feel like they can mold this guy into a player that can be an all-star one day, a big swing like you said.

Are you sure that he’s getting the right counsel or the right advice?

It doesn’t seem like this is going well.

So his, his agent, air quotes when I say that is Omar Cooper.

Omar Cooper is the father of Sharif Cooper, a player that went to Auburn.

Cooper is also not NBPA certified, so he is representing Ace Bailey.

But he is not certified by the NBPA.

We’re in a situation here where Ace Bailey is getting his advice from Omar Cooper, not a certified agent, and he made a tough choice.

Everybody can see it except for him.

You’re gonna be a professional, and I think it does speak poorly on sometimes your choices, like you have to take agency in your life, like you are.

You are 19 years old, it’s your choice to choose this guy who isn’t a certified agent who, let’s just be honest, like, there’s no signs that this guy is a trustworthy agent, a talented agent.

There’s no track record.

Like your alarm bells have to be going off, OK?

Like at this point they have to be, have to be.

And so for Ace Bailey.

I think it’s foolish.

If he does not go to Utah and play out this situation with the Jazz, because you’re getting drafted to a situation that is stable.

This is a good basketball situation.

So if Ace Bailey is honest when he’s like, I’m just focused on basketball.

Are you kidding me?

That is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.

And if this is his agent speaking through him, like, dude, you’ve gotta realize you made a mistake.

Change your representation, find someone legit.

You’re in a situation now where you might be ruining the entire start of your career, I guess, who knows?

This he might show up, he might be on a flight right now as we speak, that’s possible.

But he also might not show up on Monday and make this ugly, considering the Gavoni report that he told teams he wouldn’t report if they drafted him, we don’t know which team that was, we do not know yet, or if it were multiple teams, but it’s very possible he could become a holdout, and to me, that is stupid.

Will Ace Bailey’s standoff with Utah Jazz ruin his NBA career?

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