Utah Jazz rookie forward Ace Bailey has parted ways with manager Omar Cooper and is in the process of getting new representation, sources confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday.
Bailey, the No. 5 overall pick by the Jazz, made this decision in the wake of a peculiar draft process that included — as ESPN reported in June — his representatives telling a team inside the top five of the draft that they didn’t want it to select Bailey and that he wouldn’t report if it did.
At the time, the belief was that Bailey and his team was hoping to guide him to the Washington Wizards, who had the sixth overall pick. But Utah — in the first draft helmed by newly hired president of basketball operations Austin Ainge — took Bailey fifth, opening up a brief window where it was unclear whether he would report.
The former Rutgers star wound up reporting without incident to the Jazz and took part in summer league games with the franchise.
Bailey averaged 17.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game for Rutgers and is expected to compete for a starting spot in Jazz coach Will Hardy’s lineup. Bailey is a former high school teammate of Dallas Mavericks forward and No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg at Montverde High School in Florida.
The Athletic first reported on Bailey’s decision to part with Cooper.
