Last season spelled doom from the jump for the Utah Jazz. You really can’t sugarcoat how bad the last season looked for them. They didn’t mean to tank that hard, but yeah, they tanked. Just 17 wins out of 82? Yikes. Still, if there’s one thing the Draft gives, it’s hope. Especially for bottom dwellers like the Jazz. So snagging Ace Bailey at no. 5? That’s a wild win. Total steal – that kid can hoop. Sure, Cooper Flagg was out of reach. But Bailey? Arguably the next best talent on the board. The Jazz should be hyped. Or should they?

Bailey’s pre-draft process was unprecedented in its dysfunction. Apparently, the Rutgers freshman became the only American-based prospect in the 2025 draft class to refuse workouts with any NBA teams. He even  a scheduled workout with the Philadelphia 76ers. But that’s just the start of it all. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony said Bailey’s camp didn’t want Utah or Charlotte. They were looking for a clear shot at stardom, which meant East Coast vibes only. Washington, New Orleans, Brooklyn? Big yes. Salt Lake City? Not on the vision board. So while Utah got their guy, it might’ve come with a side of cold feet.

Maybe that’s why Bill Simmons barely rates the kid. “Ace was the wild card. I read everything. I sent you a long article that somebody wrote – I think the New York star ledger had a feature… He’s combining like 40 things. We’ve been following basketball for so long, 40 red flags, just strewn all over the place. And yet he’s just so talented,” said Simmons. All of this does come at a price, though. How costly? Maybe his shot in Salt Lake City from the get go.

“I think the thing with Ace, if you’re taking them at five – worst case scenario, trade Bailey for a bigger trade, right? If you’re trying to get somebody awesome, that’s a centerpiece kind of guy,” said Simmons on his pod. Damn, must be tough losing hopes from the fans before you’ve even stepped foot in the NBA. But well, you reap what you sow. And Ace Bailey might be Exhibit A of that mantra.

If the Jazz were to trade their Ace away, it will only be for someone who can make them competitive again. Maybe that’s what they’d be missing out on – an actual NBA star. And with the recent rumors, there’s a chance it could ring true – and might call for players out of their wildest dreams.

Could the Jazz trade Ace Bailey for Jaylen Brown?

The East is too wide open right now. With Jayson Tatum out for the forseeable future, there’s no way the Celtics take their foot off the gas for a season. They’ve already booted Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday away from Beantown. That’s already 3/5 of the core that won them their 18th banner. So you can guess how important JB would be to keeping Joe Mazzulla’s USS Celtics afloat right now. But that wouldn’t mean squat if he’s traded too.

According to NBA insider Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, the Celtics might be ready for offers for their own resident Ace. To be honest, this might be perfect timing in a way. Brown just underwent knee surgery recently. Utah’s new president of basketball operations, Austin Ainge, did deny any rumors. But there’s something in those words that might just make it all feel like a code for something deeper he might have cooking.

“I don’t like to confirm or deny rumors, just as a policy,” Ainge said. “But I will this time. No, that hasn’t happened [regarding Brown]. No conversations that way.”

But all this is just deny rumors that were cooked up by someone random. That’s why the prez shut it down. And on a bigger scheme of things, having Ace Bailey at the helm could go either of two ways. But are the Jazz ready to take that risk, especially after the horror show of a season they just had?