Brooklyn Nets sign Amari Bailey, former top high school star, to Exhibit 10 deal
Photo by Brock Williams-Smith/NBAE via Getty Images
One of the top high school recruits two years ago, Amari Bailey dropped to the second round in the 2023 draft. Now, he’s signed to an Exhibit 10 and may be destined for Long Island The Brooklyn Nets have signed Amari Bailey, a 6’3” combo guard who two years ago was viewed as one of if not the top high school guards in the U.S. but then dropped to No. 41 in the 2023 Draft. Bailey, still only 20, played for the Charlotte Hornets last season as a two-way player and was a free agent when signed.
Mike Scotto was first with the news...
The Brooklyn Nets have agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with Amari Bailey, his agent Kevin Bradbury (@KB_radbury) of @LIFTSPORTSMNGMT told @hoopshype. The 20-year-old guard was the 41st pick of the 2023 NBA Draft and played for the Charlotte Hornets last season. pic.twitter.com/8JxETnrrCN— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) September 19, 2024
The Nets confirmed the signing Saturday...
Welcome to Brooklyn, Amari! pic.twitter.com/Ig0X6FF3r5— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) September 21, 2024
Unlike other players signed at this time of year, Bailey will not be cut and reassigned to the Long Island Nets. He will be in Brooklyn Nets training camp on October 1 at HSS Training Center. He could still be cut at camp’s end then sent to Long Island.
A native of New Orleans, Bailey grew up in Chicago before moving to southern California, where he played at Sierra Canyon high school with Bronny James. In high school, he was selected as a McDonald’s All-American, California Mr. Basketball and the top player in the Los Angeles region. He was seen as a five-star recruit and one of the top combo guards in his class. His senior year was cut short by a series of leg injuries but was still heavily recruited.
He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins, earning all-freshman honors in the Pac-12 Conference in his only season. He was selected by the Hornets in the second round of the 2023 NBA draft. Bailey made his NBA debut for the Hornets in November 2023. In early mock drafts last year, he was seen as a lottery pick, but concerns about his size — and particularly his readiness as a one-and-done — caused him to drop,
Eventually he was taken at No. 41, well below the late first round where had been projected and was signed to only a two-way deal.
In 20 games with the Greensboro Swarm, he averaged 19.3 points a game, 5.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 28 minutes a game but shot under 20% from deep. In 10 games with Charlotte, he was limited to 6.5 minutes and averaged 2.3 points a game.
The Hornets did not tender Bailey a qualifying offer and he became an unrestricted free agent. He played three games for the Clippers in Summer League, averaging only 6.0 per game with shooting splits of 39/50/64.
At 20 years old, Bailey is only a few months older than Dariq Whitehead and Noah Clowney but younger than two-way Jaylen Martin. Last season, Whitehead, Clowney and Bailey were among the ten youngest players in the NBA.
Nets sign Amari Bailey to Exhibit 10 deal as youth movement continues - Brian Lewis - New York Post
Welcome to Billionaire Club Co LLC, your gateway to a brand-new social media experience! Sign up today and dive into over 10,000 fresh daily articles and videos curated just for your enjoyment. Enjoy the ad free experience, unlimited content interactions, and get that coveted blue check verification—all for just $1 a month!
Account Frozen
Your account is frozen. You can still view content but cannot interact with it.
Please go to your settings to update your account status.
Open Profile Settings