Utah Jazz rookie Ace Bailey, the No. 5 pick of the 2025 NBA Draft, is parting ways with manager Omar Cooper, multiple league sources have informed The Athletic.
Bailey, a 6-foot-9 forward out of Rutgers, is seeking new representation. He and his camp have done interviews to this point, league sources say, but a decision on who he will ultimately go with has not been made.
Cooper’s son, Sharife, recently signed with the Washington Wizards on a two-way contract. In the pre-draft process, Cooper advised Bailey not to work out for any of the teams that owned a top-five pick. The wide belief is that Cooper wanted Bailey to land with the Wizards, who owned the No. 6 pick. The Jazz interviewed Bailey at the pre-draft combine in Chicago. But they were not able to get him into Utah for a pre-draft workout.
The only team in the top five that came close to getting Bailey in, according to league sources, was the Philadelphia 76ers, who owned the No. 3 pick. Bailey and his camp committed to a workout, but it fell through, and the Sixers selected guard VJ Edgecombe with the third pick.
Bailey is slated to compete for a spot in head coach Will Hardy’s starting lineup. At the very least, Bailey should become a rotation player in his rookie season.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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