What happened to Ace Bailey? Jazz rookie's home opener cut short abruptly

Utah Jazz rookie Ace Bailey has made a great impression during the preseason, starting all three games for his team. However, the guard's home opener against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday was cut short abruptly as he exited the game with an apparent injury.

KSL Sports' Ben Anderson offered an update on the rookie's exit on X (formerly Twitter), claiming he had suffered a bilateral knee soreness during the game.

"Ace Bailey has bilateral knee soreness and will not return tonight. #TakeNote | @kslsports," Anderson tweeted.

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Bailey started his third consecutive game during the Jazz's home opener against the Dallas Mavericks. However, the guard only played for just over 11 minutes before being replaced by Walter Clayton Jr. with 5:07 remaining on the clock.

The rookie's only involvement in the game was a 23-foot three-point jumper, which he made off a Lauri Markkanen assist. Shooting 1-5 from the field during the game, Bailey was unable to leave a mark on the game as he had done in previous matchups.

After making his debut against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, Bailey turned heads with a standout performance, leading the Jazz in scoring with 25 points on 11-of-16 shooting. He carried that momentum into the next game, dropping another 20 points against the San Antonio Spurs, before being forced to leave early in the first quarter of the matchup with the Mavericks.

Despite his early exit, Bailey's status is still day-to-day, as the Jazz hope to have him back before their next game. Utah wraps up its preseason at home by hosting the Portland Trail Blazers. With the Jazz still seeking their first win, they aim to change that against the Oregon team.

Utah Jazz head coach praises Ace Bailey's "individual ability" as he impresses in preseason

Selected as the fifth overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Ace Bailey has impressed for the Utah Jazz during the preseason. The guard has been a standout performer for the Jazz, averaging 22.5 points per game in two appearances.

During a post-game press conference, head coach Will Hardy praised the youngster for his "individual ability," while highlighting his immense potential.

"I'm not going to take credit for Ace's individual ability," Hardy expressed. "We're obviously putting him in some situations that he hasn't been a ton, but I think that's because he is showing us that he can do those things when we've asked him in practice."

Although exiting the game due to an injury on Monday, Bailey should get an extended run in the starting five when fit and available.

Edited by Arian Kashyap