Ace Bailey enters the NBA draft as one of the top prospects in the class, but his pre-draft process has been marked by questions.
Teams in the top five will consider taking Bailey with their picks, but the Rutgers product hasn’t fully cooperated with those teams during the pre-draft process. In fact, Bailey hasn’t gone on a pre-draft visit with a single team this year, a rare decision for any American player in the draft pool.
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Bailey’s strange draft process has put the spotlight partly on his agent, as many of Bailey’s decisions are unusual for a prospect of his caliber. So, who is Bailey’s agent? Here’s what you need to know.
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Who is Ace Bailey’s agent?
Ace Bailey is represented by Omar Cooper of LifeStyle Sports Agency. Cooper is the father of former Auburn player Sharife Cooper, who was drafted by the Hawks in 2022 but currently plays overseas.
Cooper and Bailey met when Bailey played on Cooper’s Athletes of Tomorrow basketball team. Bailey moved from Tennessee to Georgia in high school to be closer to Cooper, who then helped connect Bailey to Rutgers as a recruit out of high school.
Cooper helped develop Bailey in high school, as the future Rutgers star was one of several boys and girls whom Cooper took under his wing.
“The plan was to keep Ace in the gym 24/7,” Cooper said, via Kevin Armstrong of NJ Advanced Media. “For the most part, it was sunup to sundown for him to be able to turn the corner.”
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Ace Bailey NBA Draft concerns
Multiple reporters have described how Cooper has reportedly taken over Bailey’s pre-draft process, which has turned off some teams. Jeff Goodman first reported that Cooper asked to be paid for on-camera interviews during the season.
According to Jonathan Givony, Bailey hasn’t worked out with any teams because his camp told teams that they want him to be drafted by a team that gives Bailey a path to become a star.Â
“Bailey’s predraft workout strategy has perplexed some observers, as he has yet to conduct a single known workout to date, having declined invitations from several teams within his draft range,” Givony said.
Bailey’s pre-draft process was called into question earlier this month when he cancelled a workout with the Sixers, who own the No. 3 pick. Keith Pompey reported that Cooper wanted Philadelphia to commit to him before the workout, which is why it was ultimately cancelled.Â
However, Pompey also said that Cooper wants Bailey to be drafted by a team in the east, preferably in between New York and Atlanta. Additionally, Cooper is so high on Bailey that he called Bailey not going No. 1 overall “uncivilized,” according to Kevin Armstrong of NJ Advanced Media.
MORE:Â Why is Ace Bailey skipping workouts?
Omar Cooper legal issues
Kevin Armstrong of NJ Advanced Media reports that Cooper had legal issues in his past, as he was charged with attempted murder and possession with intent to distribute cocaine on or by school property in the 1990s, and indicted in 2003 for possessing a machine gun and black short-clip Uzi. As a result, Cooper served six months for the cocaine conviction, while the other charges were dismissed.Â
Omar Cooper clients
Omar Cooper has a very small client list. According to RealGM.com, Cooper represents Bailey, Rutgers player Tariq Francis and G League free agent Babatunde Akingbola.
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