Until the Charlotte Hornets were on the clock during the first night of the draft, the possibility of the front office picking Ace Bailey with the No. 4 selection had loomed. As it turns out, the Hornets may have dodged a bullet by passing on him and taking Kon Knueppel. According to Jonathan Givony and Tim Bontemps of ESPN, Bailey's representation had informed a team in the top five of the draft that he would not report for duty if it were to select him.
It's unclear which club his camp had threatened with a no-show, although some believe it could have been either Charlotte or the Philadelphia 76ers. The theory makes sense because Bailey wouldn't have gotten his wish of being gifted with a quick pathway to being a star, as he would have been the third-best offensive option at best for either squad.
Ace's agent, Omar Cooper, has done a poor job so far in putting his client in a positive light. He tried to justify their strategy by claiming that it's normal for some prospects to avoid working out for teams before the draft. However, it's rare for a player to snub every workout invite.
The Rutgers University product ended up being drafted by the Utah Jazz, a pick later after the Hornets scooped up Knueppel.
Hornets are in a good spot following the draft despite not getting the high-upside prospect
It's more likely that Bailey would turn out to be the better prospect in the long run. He has star quality written all over him, although some bad has come with the good with the incoming Jazz rookie.
On the other hand, the chances of Knueppel becoming a star are slim. However, he projects to be an elite role player at least, and that's exactly what the Hornets need alongside LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. It won't even surprise me if the Duke University product puts up a more productive rookie campaign, as he stands to benefit from getting open looks due to Ball and Miller's gravity, as well as playing under Charles Lee's offensive system. Meanwhile, Bailey will have to deal with more defensive attention on him.
Another thing of note is that Charlotte fans appear to be in a great space following the draft, and it's not just because of Knueppel. The organization aced this year's draft, with Liam McNeeley falling to its lap at the No. 29 spot and some of its weaknesses having been addressed in the second round of the draft. Such an outcome might not have been possible if the Hornets had to handle a possible headache in Bailey.