The NBA world was filled with hype going into the 2025 draft, especially with headliner Cooper Flagg. But after him, one of the most sought-after prospects was Rutgers forward Ace Bailey, known for his combination of size, skill, and scoring ability. Bailey entered the draft with the spotlight on him, but for all the wrong reasons. At the center were the questions about his representation and draft strategy, led by his agent Omar Cooper.

Much has been speculated about the nature of Bailey’s draft. Reports from the time indicate that multiple top-five teams were prevented from getting him to do workouts with them, including #3-pick-holding Philadelphia and #5-pick-holding Utah. Insiders believed that this was a way for Bailey to force his way to Washington, where he had indicated interest. To add to this, Cooper’s son Sharife already played for the Wizards on a two-way contract, and it was speculated that the approach was Cooper’s idea.

However, recently, according to multiple sources, it has been confirmed that Bailey is parting ways with Cooper and is seeking new representation. So far, no formal reason has been given by either  party, leaving fans and analysts to come to their own conclusions.

The impact of pre-draft decisions from Ace Bailey’s former agent has been a topic of discussion since the draft concluded. While Cooper’s approach may have been designed to steer Bailey to a team where he could’ve been the centerpiece, it brought them a lot of attention and questions about how this behavior could cause friction with front offices around the league. While these strategies can be argued to be necessary for players to exercise some control on their future, critics argue that full engagement with multiple teams would’ve made the draft experience smoother, and perhaps helped his reputation, which is now stained.

Now, with Bailey in search of new representation, the timing is critical for him and his camp. A well-chosen agent can provide guidance to a player heading into his rookie season, and maximize his potential both on and off the court.

Speculation About Omar Cooper’s Exit From Ace Bailey’s Camp

Despite the absence of comment from Ace Bailey or his camp on why he decided to cut ties with Omar Cooper, there is still curiosity about the lack of clarity. There are some reasons that have been speculated about, so let’s go over them.

A lot of the talk circles back to Cooper’s handling of Bailey’s pre-draft. League insiders, including Marc Stein, believe that the only reason Bailey fell by two spots is because he was specifically targeting the Washington Wizards as his destination. On top of this, there was another incident. Utah initially planned to have another of Cooper’s sons, Omar Cooper Jr., serve as a guest coach for them during Summer League. However, the NBA stepped in, and the Jazz had to call off their plans. These repeated NBA involvements might have made bailey choose to part ways in hopes to join a more established agent or agency.

There’s another wrinkle in the fabric here. Omar Cooper is not NBPA-certified, which means that he is not allowed to negotiate or represent Bailey in contract talks with the Utah Jazz or any future teams. Even now, Bailey operates through Green Sports Management and Young Money APAA for official NBA business. Perhaps this was one of the reasons for the split.