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The NBA Draft, like many NBA transactions, can be a very unpredictable event. Teams spend years scouting the top prospects entering the league in order to come together with a big board of desired draft picks, yet it’s rare for a team to be able to end the night with their desired outcomes.
For the Utah Jazz, the 2025 draft presented a unique opportunity to add difference makers at two selections in the first round, with new President of Basketball Operations Austin Ainge taking over as lead decision-maker earlier in the month.
The Jazz ended the night with Ace Bailey (selected with the fifth pick) and Walter Clayton Jr. (selected with the 18th pick following a trade to move up in the draft order). While Bailey enters the league as one of the younger players at 18 years old, Clayton Jr. is a seasoned prospect and turned 22 earlier this year. As Ainge explained following the first round, Wednesday night unfolded in a very satisfying way for Utah.
"Two weeks ago, we sat down and looked at our picks and said, 'What would be the best case scenario?' And these were the two guys we really wanted. We feel very fortunate and are excited to have them in the family.”
Bailey was a top talent that some considered to be a divisive prospect as a result of some of his areas for improvement in his game and a lack of pre-draft workouts. However, how the 18-year-old spent the last month prior to arriving at Barclays Center Wednesday night didn’t factor much into Utah’s decision to select him when it was on the clock.
"We do a lot of background calls and work on guys and everyone loves being around Ace,” Ainge said. “He's fun, smiles every day — just a breath of fresh air in the gym. We were able to speak with him. He was super excited. We're super excited. We're expecting a very bright future."
There was much made of Bailey’s scoring prowess at Rutgers University, and while Ainge understands why the focus is on that part of his game, he believes there are several other ways that the soon-to-be rookie can have an impact for his new team.
“Ace is an extremely talented shot-maker,” Ainge said Wednesday. “He’s big, long, and athletic. His scoring gets a lot of attention and deservedly so. He’s very skilled for his size. When watching film on him, I was impressed with his defensive effort and in particular his rebounding. A lot of weakside blocked shots.”
Bailey did indeed average 7.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game, showcasing an ability to make plays on the defensive end of the floor. As previously covered, there is certainly more to Bailey’s game than simply putting the ball in the hoop.
Bailey enters the league with the self-awareness that there is room for improvement in his game, an important trait for an 18-year-old joining the NBA.
"I feel like I can improve on everything,” Bailey said shortly after being selected by Utah. “I'm very young. I'm just coming to the game, so there's a lot of stuff I can improve, physically and mentally. I mean, from jump shots to more creativity, to more ballhandling, just all over the place."
In terms of his specific fit with the Jazz, Bailey sees himself as a motivating presence, something that can always benefit a team as young as Utah.
"A leader, confidence, hard worker,” Bailey said when asked what he brings to the Jazz. “Just a player that pushes people to be the best. A very great teammate... I'm the person that's going to push everybody to be the best they can be, even the coaches."
On the other end of the development course, Clayton Jr. joins the Jazz following a four-year collegiate career that began at Iona University. Over the four seasons, the 22-year-old developed into a premier shooting threat and was more comfortable serving as a lead guard.
“Had a chance to watch Walter a lot,” Ainge said. “He’s tough, smart, an amazing shooter, athletic, and mature. It’s been really fun for me to watch his progression.”
Clayton Jr. shot 38.6 percent from deep during his senior season, which culminated in a National Championship with the Florida Gators. That elite shooting will be crucial for a Jazz offensive system that prioritizes off-ball actions and 3-point attempts. Clayton Jr. understands the value he can bring to a team like Utah.
“Definitely just some offensive versatility,” the former Gator said Wednesday. “Just being a great leader, great teammate and great player, a guy that’s willing to do whatever (it takes) to win. It’s definitely a great young group (in Utah). A lot of talent, and I think the talent will mesh well next year.”
Utah already boasted a large young core, with eight players age 23-and-under on last season’s roster. Although Bailey and Clayton Jr. are on different ends of the age and positional spectrum, they certainly inject Will Hardy’s squad with confidence and elite shot-making.
“They’ve got a lot of talent,” Ainge said. “Both of them are really good shooters and scorers. We hope that they develop and learn our system really quickly. But we understand that it’s a process with young guys. Over the next couple years, we hope they can become really important pieces for our future.”
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