Could the Jazz Milk Washington if The Ace Saga Sours?

[Handlogten's Heros]

There was a quote from Tim Connelly (Wolves GM) that said picking in the 2nd round sucks because agents control everything and it's all agreed to beforehand.

Those are typically real agents with real power doing what is best for their client and their situation tho.

 

[Flc]

There was a quote from Tim Connelly (Wolves GM) that said picking in the 2nd round sucks because agents control everything and it's all agreed to beforehand.

First round controlled by Silver, second round controlled by agents - great sport.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

If he had Bartlestein or Paul, those two would put pressure in other ways. They would also refuse a workout, but would also play a cat and mouse game where both sides try to maintain on good terms because the client base is large.

Cooper is a fake agent without any other real clients. He can’t do the same thing. All he can really do is be annoying. And he’s doing that.

Ultimately I think the result is the same. Ace will play for the Jazz this upcoming season. Maybe he sits out summer league, but like Tony outlined….it seems far fetched that Ace wouldn’t play at all.

It does seem like Cooper could be an ongoing headache though.

The tactics while annoying… aren’t the issue. The motivations for Omar are.

 

[Elizah Huge]

If you think the guy who was trying to charge people for interviews in college is acting in Ace Bailey’s best interest and not his own I don’t know what to tell you.

 

[Sean]

At the risk of turning this into a semantical issue, it depends what you mean by "this".

My takeaway from Tony's article is that pre-draft antics and positioning are frequent. But if this issue extends beyond the draft itself to issues like not reporting to the team, it would make the situation a rather rare one.

Of course it's too early to know what will happen between now and summer league, so we're all operating on speculation, but I think most of us (myself included) suspect that Ace will show up.

The first big indicator will be Monday when the Jazz welcome their draft picks and hold a press conference. If Ace isn't there, it will be the first indication that this is moving into unusual territory and not common. I'm sure Utah will make an excuse. He was handling some personal affairs or had a previous obligation but if he's not here Monday, while I won't take that to mean he'll never be here, it will mean there's more to this story.

After that point, it's possible Utah and Ace come to an amicable agreement. It's also possible he wants out and they have a Steve Francis type situation where he flat-out old told the Grizzlies to not draft him and they did anyway. He was not happy (looked way more unhappy than Ace after he was drafted) and eventually forced one of the largest trades in NBA history.

 

[The Thriller]

I don't think this has anything to do with Salt Lake as a place. I think it has to do with Washington back-channeling, "Come here and you'll be THE GUY." And his agent looks at Utah and sees Lauri, Kessler, Sexton, Keyonte, Hendricks and thinks, "Ace isn't going to be the guy there. The lane is not wide open."

If I were Ace or his agent, I’d look at that roster and laugh. If Ace can’t be the guy over Hendricks or Sexton or Lauri (who we probably are going to unload) then he clearly shouldn’t have been in the lottery.

 

[KqWIN]

The tactics while annoying… aren’t the issue. The motivations for Omar are.

And I’ve try to say that this is about the first thing like a million times. I 100% agree of you think Cooper is a problem. That’s one conversation. But my post you guys replied to said that these tactics are a different flavor of what already happens. The tactics are different because Cooper is a fake agent without clients, but the result from the Jazz perspective should be the same. The Jazz made the right decision to draft him anyways. And it seems like they played the right games themselves to help prevent a trade from happening.

If anything, I think these tactics are not as threatening as whatever Paul or Bartlestein would do outside of the public eye.

 

[Flc]

If I were Ace or his agent, I’d look at that roster and laugh. If Ace can’t be the guy over Hendricks or Sexton or Lauri (who we probably are going to unload) then he clearly shouldn’t have been in the lottery.

Agreed. This "Give Omar a job" nonsense makes it make sense now.

 

[idiot]

If he had Bartlestein or Paul, those two would put pressure in other ways. They would also refuse a workout, but would also play a cat and mouse game where both sides try to maintain on good terms because the client base is large.

Cooper is a fake agent without any other real clients. He can’t do the same thing. All he can really do is be annoying. And he’s doing that.

Ultimately I think the result is the same. Ace will play for the Jazz this upcoming season. Maybe he sits out summer league, but like Tony outlined….it seems far fetched that Ace wouldn’t play at all.

It does seem like Cooper could be an ongoing headache though.

I don't want to make it seem like I disagree with you here, because I largely don't.

But can you recall any other (or more than 5 situations over the past 40 years) where an agent (or the player himself) has led a player to sit out summer league because they were unhappy with where they were drafted? Maybe it has happened a few times? But the point I was trying to make is that I think Tony's point is that once we get beyond the draft itself it's really quite rare for these types of things to happen.

You're right that ultimately summer league is less important than showing up for the season, but with the way this fanbase turns on players, I think that Bailey would be digging a public relations hole for himself with the fanbase that he won't be able to get out of if he stays home from summer league. (Whether this matters or not is debatable, I suppose.)

 

[Tremendous Upside]

If I were Ace or his agent, I’d look at that roster and laugh. If Ace can’t be the guy over Hendricks or Sexton or Lauri (who we probably are going to unload) then he clearly shouldn’t have been in the lottery.

LOL.

Ace was a losing college player with a big ego and a terrible shot selection.

Sexton and Lauri are actual NBA veterans who have proven themselves again and again in the pro game. There is zero guarantee of Ace ever reaching the level of either of those dudes.

Hendricks doesn't belong in this discussion because we still don't know what he is.

 

[The Midnight]

If I were Ace or his agent, I’d look at that roster and laugh. If Ace can’t be the guy over Hendricks or Sexton or Lauri (who we probably are going to unload) then he clearly shouldn’t have been in the lottery.

He also reportedly wanted to stay in the East Coast.

How do we solve that issue for him? Move the team East?

 

[NAOS_pt2]

Tony seems unconcerned, says this happens all the time: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6454997/2025/06/27/ace-bailey-utah-jazz-nba-draft/

It seems like there's an inconsistency at the heart of that article.
Early in the article: "Player empowerment is a good thing. That being said, Bailey's situation seems extreme."
End of the article: "[This situation] shines a light on what has become a dirty game behind the scenes during the predraft process. And, make no mistake, it's a game that's been played for generations. Bailey's game was played out for the public to digest. That's the only difference."

The "extreme" nature here is just the public availability of the details of the game? That doesn't seem right.

 

[Elizah Huge]

I’m not even sure Ace Bailey himself had some preferred destinations that he would have tried to force his way too if he had a real agent. I think there are places Omar Cooper wanted him to go to.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

And I’ve try to say that this is about the first thing like a million times. I 100% agree of you think Cooper is a problem. That’s one conversation. But my post you guys replied to said that these tactics are a different flavor of what already happens. The tactics are different because Cooper is a fake agent without clients, but the result from the Jazz perspective should be the same. The Jazz made the right decision to draft him anyways. And it seems like they played the right games themselves to help prevent a trade from happening.

If anything, I think these tactics are not as threatening as whatever Paul or Bartlestein would do outside of the public eye.

This has never been about what Ace wanted. Full stop. Now wait a month and see what details hit daylight.

 

[KqWIN]

I don't want to make it seem like I disagree with you here, because I largely don't.

But can you recall any other (or more than 5 situations over the past 40 years) where an agent (or the player himself) has led a player to sit out summer league because they were unhappy with where they were drafted? Maybe it has happened a few times? But the point I was trying to make is that I think Tony's point is that once we get beyond the draft itself it's really quite rare for these types of things to happen.

You're right that ultimately summer league is less important than showing up for the season, but with the way this fanbase turns on players, I think that Bailey would be digging a public relations hole for himself with the fanbase that he won't be able to get out of if he stays home from summer league. (Whether this matters or not is debatable, I suppose.)

I’d agree that sitting out summer league is atypical. We’ll see what happens.

 

[Tremendous Upside]

I’m not even sure Ace Bailey himself had some preferred destinations that he would have tried to force his way too if he had a real agent. I think there are places Omar Cooper wanted him to go to.

What difference does it really make?

 

[seattlejazzfan]

I’m not even sure Ace Bailey himself had some preferred destinations that he would have tried to force his way too if he had a real agent. I think there are places Omar Cooper wanted him to go to.

100% this. Ace is no different than any other kid from outside of utah, arizona, idaho basically - utah would never be his or anybody else's first choice, but at the same time, just like most other prospects he just wants to play basketball and be rich. ultimately he doesn't give a **** where he plays as long as they pay him a lot of money and he gets to play basketball at the highest level.

 

[KqWIN]

This has never been about what Ace wanted. Full stop. Now wait a month and see what details hit daylight.

Ok I know you are very excited about your dm source. I am too, can’t wait for the day all the tea is leaked.

How can I communicate to you that Cooper’s motivations are not what I’m talking about? You said the tactics aren’t the issue. We agree on that, and this the scope of what I’m talking about.

Whatever shadowy details happen in your dm’s, that speaks to a different topic.

 

[Bodhi]

I’m not even sure Ace Bailey himself had some preferred destinations that he would have tried to force his way too if he had a real agent. I think there are places Omar Cooper wanted him to go to.

1000%

 

[Elizah Huge]

Ok I know you are very excited about your dm source. I am too, can’t wait for the day all the tea is leaked.

How can I communicate to you that Cooper’s motivations are not what I’m talking about? You said the tactics aren’t the issue. We agree on that, and this the scope of what I’m talking about.

Whatever shadowy details happen in your dm’s, that speaks to a different topic.

The tactics are the issue though.