The Utah Jazz lost to the Dallas Mavericks in a preseason showdown on October 13th, falling 114-101. Anthony Davis led all scorers with 25 points, and Jazz guard Brice Sensabaugh offered 16 off the bench, leading the team.
First overall pick Cooper Flagg continued to offer impressive performances, finishing with 11 points, seven rebounds, two blocks, two steals, and no turnovers.
The Jazz missed out on the first pick, but they still managed to land Ace Bailey, who has the potential to be one of the best players from the draft. He is still incredibly raw and left the game early with a knee injury.
GettySALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – OCTOBER 13: Ace Bailey #19 of the Utah Jazz dribbles the ball past P.J. Washington #25 of the Dallas Mavericks during the first half of the preseason game on October 13, 2025 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
Utah Jazz Give Ace Bailey Injury Update
Picked fifth overall out of Rutgers, Bailey can score, score, and score some more. In the preseason, he is averaging 16 points. He seems to be ahead of schedule, shooting over 50% from the floor and 40% from deep in three games.
The Jazz have been tanking ever since they traded away Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. However, they are yet to pick above fifth overall, unable to find guaranteed talent.
Bailey, albeit with a limited sample size, looks to be the real deal, which is why fans were concerned when he left the game early.
“He’s got some tendonitis in both knees,” head coach Will Hardy told the Salt Lake Tribune’s Andy Larsen. “It’s nothing that we’re overly concerned with. He’s not going to be getting imaged or anything like that. It’s just trying to take care of him. He was a little sore during his second stint.”
Losing Bailey to injury in the preseason would be devastating, although it sounds like the plan is still for him to play in the season opener on October 22nd.
Jazz Expected to Continue the Tank
Lauri Markkanen is a legitimate star. Keyonte George and Taylor Hendricks have shown flashes. However, the Jazz are still wildly unproven.
Bailey seems to be ahead of schedule in his development, and his oversized frame as a wing helps to compensate for his lack of NBA experience. It’s safe to say he should be able to routinely score 25 points once he hits his stride, although there are doubts about whether or not he can be a true first option.
With high-end talents like Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and AJ Dybantsa headlining the 2026 Draft, the Jazz are expected to once again wind up in the lottery.
Bailey is a massive part of the team’s future, although they are far from done building around him and their other youngsters. It’s a long way back to the top, especially in the Western Conference, which already has a lot of elite young talent.
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