- Ace Bailey officially signed with Klutch Sports Group and CEO Rich Paul on May 12, 2026, for on-field representation.
- The Utah Jazz rookie wrapped up his debut season averaging 13.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game across 72 appearances, with numbers surging to 18.3 points post-All-Star break.
- Klutch has been actively building a presence within the Jazz organization, also signing teammates Jusuf Nurkic and Isaiah Collier in recent months.
Ace Bailey has officially signed with Klutch Sports Group and CEO Rich Paul for on-field representation, the agency announced on May 12, 2026.
The signing closes an off-court chapter that started with significant turbulence. During a pre-draft process full of drama, Bailey’s camp, led by Omar Cooper of Lifestyle Sports Agency, reportedly told at least one team near the top of the draft order that Bailey would not report if selected. Cooper was not a certified NBPA agent and was therefore barred from officially negotiating on Bailey’s behalf.
Due to Cooper’s lack of certification, Bailey was officially represented on paper during the draft by NBPA-certified agents Adie Von Gontard of Young Money APAA Sports and Daniel E. Green of GSE Worldwide.
On the court, Bailey became the youngest player in Jazz franchise history to reach 500 career points, doing so at 19 years and 181 days old, and scored a career-high 32 points in a March 5 win over the Washington Wizards.
The move to Klutch follows similar signings the agency has made this year: Jazz guard Isaiah Collier joined the Klutch roster and Leki Fofu also come aboard. Klutch now counts over 40 active NBA players on its roster, including LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Tyrese Maxey.
Takeaways
This is a significant reset for one of the NBA’s most promising young forwards. After a rookie season where Bailey’s on-court ascent outpaced the off-court noise surrounding his previous management situation, landing with Rich Paul and Klutch Sports Group gives him exactly the institutional muscle and credibility his career needed at this stage.
This is not just a representation deal, it’s a statement that Bailey is fully bought in, building toward something real in Utah.
What’s also notable: Klutch now has a genuine foothold within the Jazz organization. With Bailey, Collier, Nurkic, and Walter Clayton Jr. all under the Klutch umbrella, Rich Paul’s agency effectively has a seat at the table in Utah’s front-office conversations for years to come.
Does signing with Klutch accelerate Bailey’s path to a max extension with the Jazz, and could that happen before his rookie deal expires? With Rich Paul now representing multiple Jazz players, how much influence could Klutch have on Utah’s future roster decisions?
