One of the biggest storylines of the 2025 NBA Draft was watching where Ace Bailey would land after his mind-boggling strategy of not working out for any team. The Utah Jazz took the bait one pick after the Charlotte Hornets went for Kon Knueppel. Interestingly, the Jazz have yet to officially introduce Bailey, who reportedly didn't come to Utah on Thursday.
An argument can be made that the rumor isn't that big of a deal. On the other hand, it's still worth noting because the Jazz's other draft pick, Walter Clayton Jr., apparently already flew to Utah. Meanwhile, all four of the Hornets' draft selections have already been introduced to the media.
It might be too early to say, but Charlotte is probably patting itself on the back for not taking a colossal Bailey risk. The recent report has only proven even more that the front office made a wise decision on Wednesday.
To be fair to the Jazz, they deserve praise for not bending to the will of a possibly ill-advised 18-year-old and opting for the best-player-available route in the draft. It isn't that surprising at all when you look at who's running the show in Utah: CEO Danny Ainge and president of basketball operations Austin Ainge.
Hornets' strategy was targeting high-character prospects
Of course, the Hornets could have also chosen that path, but fortunately, they could afford not to reach for the stars by going for a high-upside prospect in Bailey. Already having a star in LaMelo Ball and another potential one in Brandon Miller on the roster allowed the front office to bear that mindset.
Instead, Charlotte prioritized filling the roster holes with players who can help establish the culture the front office has been building since 2024.
Knueppel even shared during his first press conference with the Hornets that lead executive Jeff Peterson and coach Charles Lee had made it known to the prospects they interviewed during the draft process that righting the ship is their objective in Buzz City. Perhaps Bailey would have known more about it if he paid the squad a visit even once.
Even Charlotte's other rookie selections seem like a great fit culture-wise. Liam McNeeley comes from a family of hoopsters and played his lone collegiate season for a no-nonsense coach, Dan Hurley, at the University of Connecticut. Both second-round picks Sion James and Ryan Kalkbrenner played five years in college and likely understand that they have less time to prove themselves than many of their fellow rookies.
Bailey's situation with the Jazz is probably going to resolve itself in a matter of days. Still, the Hornets don't need more drama as they try to turn their fortune around, and Knueppel appears ready to help the franchise rather than think of himself.