Summer League head coach Kevin Hanson was impressed with Amari Bailey after a 98-91 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on July 10.
“I thought he played great,” said Hanson. “We got to get him more minutes. I thought he was really good. He was really good in camp all week. I like him.
“I talked to him after the game and was like, ‘Sorry, I didn’t get you more minutes, we got to get that right,’ and he said. ‘I don’t care, we got the win.’”
Bailey has only played nine minutes of the first game of Summer League, but he shot 2 of 4 and knocked down two free throws for seven total points. He also added a rebound, a steal, and two assists, and no turnovers. With his assists and points, Bailey was responsible for 11 points in his nine minutes. He finished with a +7 plus/minus for the game.
“I felt good, I felt pretty comfortable,” Bailey told me after practice on Friday. “I feel like it was just a carryover from camp. Really just go out and be myself.”
Bailey was drafted 41st overall by the Hornets in the 2023 draft after a solid freshman season at UCLA. Bailey joined UCLA as an elite talent. He was the 10th overall ranked national recruit after being named Mr. Basketball for the State of California in 2021. Additionally, he won gold at the U16 FIBA tournament in Brazil in 2019.
He started 28 of 30 games at UCLA, averaging 11.2 points per game on 49.5% from the field and 38.9% from distance. His 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists helped him earn 1st team all-freshman honors in the PAC-12.
However, Bailey’s stock fell in the draft due to his inconsistency at the free-throw line. He made 69.8% of his free throws, which fueled doubts about his overall shooting. He also averaged 2.4 turnovers a game, giving him a 0.92 assist-to-turnover ratio. A concerning number of turnovers also raised questions about his ability to run an offense and make effective offensive decisions.
However, in the 2023 draft, the Hornets decided his pedigree and scoring were worth a second-round pick. With the Hornets, Bailey struggled to find a consistent role, playing just 65 minutes in ten games. His shot also deserted him. He shot just 8 of 24 from the field and 1 of 8 from three-point range. Interestingly, he shot 6 of 7 from the free throw line and had a 1.75 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Bailey’s biggest strength in shooting failed him in his rookie season, and his weakness seemed to have gotten better in his limited run. He would spend some time in the G League, but ultimately, the Charlotte Hornets would waive him after the season. The Brooklyn Nets signed him to a 10-day contract in November of 2024-25, before ultimately waiving him.
Bailey signed with the Iowa Wolves to finish the season. In Iowa, he started 8 games and played in ten. Bailey would shoot 88.9% from the free-throw line and play an impressive role as a dynamic combo guard, averaging 10.3 points and 5.2 assists, with just 2.2 turnovers. The 2.36 assist-to-turnover ratio would mark the best it has been in his college, G League, or NBA career.
Unfortunately, Bailey couldn’t get his shot to fall again. He shot just 41.4% from the field and 27.8% from the three-point line. Bailey noted the need to hit more of his shots when speaking about what the Wolves expect from him in Summer League.
“Just being that playmaker, creating for myself and others,” he said. “Guarding at a high level and just making shots.”
Bailey makes sense as a gamble for the Wolves. They list him at 6’3”, 185 lbs, and Bailey is still only 21 years old. He has shown significant improvements in his playmaking and free-throw shooting. The hope would be that his shot comes around and Bailey could be a valuable contributor someday off the bench as a change-of-pace combo guard.
Surprisingly, Bailey attributed some of his growth and familiarity with Minnesota’s offense to watching a lot of Mike Conley film.
“Biggest takeaway from watching Mike is his everyday professionalism,” Bailey said. “How he’s just elite for everyone and how he’s uplifting… He’s cerebral with his plays, being able to manipulate defenses and then knock down shots. That’s what I admire the most from Mike, watching him from afar.”
Hanson told Bailey that he would give him more minutes for the rest of Summer League. Bailey shot well, didn’t turn the ball over, and felt confident in the first Summer League game.
As a former top ten recruit, Bailey has all the talent in the world, and the Wolves have roster spots available for players who make an impression in Summer League. Roster spots that Bailey could theoretically slide into and be a backup to Conley, the guy he watched all last season in Iowa.