Former UCLA star, NBA player Amari Bailey planning college return

Former UCLA guard Amari Bailey is seeking a return to college basketball. Bailey said “he is attempting to become the first basketball player to return to college after playing in NBA games,” per ESPN’s Dan Murphy. On3’s Joe Tipton confirmed Murphy’s report.

Bailey played the 2022-23 season at UCLA, where he averaged 11.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, while shooting 49.5% from the field and 38.9% from beyond the arc. He led the Bruins to a Sweet Sixteen appearance before ultimately being eliminated.

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For his efforts, he was named to the All-Pac-12 team. Bailey entered the 2023 NBA Draft after the season. The Charlotte Hornets selected Bailey with the No. 41 overall pick. He made 10 career appearances for the Hornets.

All 10 of his appearances occurred during his rookie season. He averaged 2.3 points in 6.5 minutes per game. Bailey is 21 years old and would currently be in his fourth collegiate season if he’d remained at UCLA.

“Right now I’d be a senior in college,” Bailey told ESPN. “I’m not trying to be 27 years old playing college athletics. No shade to the guys that do; that’s their journey. But I went to go play professionally and learned a lot, went through a lot. So like, why not me?”

On September 21, 2024, Bailey signed with the Brooklyn Nets. However, the Nets waived Bailey on Oct. 19. He’s played for the Greensboro Swarm, the Long Island Nets and the Iowa Wolves in the G-League.

Bailey was a five-star prospect and the No. 12 overall player in the 2022 recruiting cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings. He is only the latest professional American basketball player to seek collegiate eligibility.

Earlier this month, Charles Bediako was granted a temporary restraining order, allowing him to play for Alabama again. Like Bailey, Bediako entered the 2023 NBA Draft. Alas, Bediako went undrafted and never played in an NBA game.

Amari Bailey told ESPN that his only professional contract was worth $565,000. Further, Bailey said he plans to begin reaching out to teams about playing for them next season. He wants to play for a team that can compete for a national championship.

“It’s not a stunt,” Bailey said. “I’m really serious about going back. I just want to improve my game, change the perception of me and just show that I can win.”

Bailey’s attorney is Elliot Abrams, who helped former North Carolina football player Tez Walker restore his NCAA eligibility. Abrams reportedly said he doesn’t believe the NCAA has any “real justification” for not granting Bailey eligibility.