Ace Bailey Avoids 76ers Question Before NBA Draft
Ace Bailey Avoids 76ers Question Before NBA Draft originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
A new wave of elite basketball talent is about to find its NBA homes as the 2025 NBA Draft tips off Wednesday night. One of the more intriguing names entering the draft is Ace Bailey, whose pre-draft decisions have sparked debate across the league.
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Bailey notably did not work out with the Philadelphia 76ers, who currently hold the third overall pick. Despite skipping that workout, many analysts still project him to land in Philadelphia. Others believe the 76ers may instead opt for V.J. Edgecombe, who did meet with the team.
In a recent pre-draft interview, Adam Zagoria, shared when Bailey was asked directly about the 76ers situation. His response was vague.
'I'm just glad to be in this position. I'm taking it day by day...I'm focused on basketball.'
According to CBS Sports, 76ers star Paul George wasn't thrilled with Bailey's approach. On his "Podcast P," George criticized the young prospect for skipping team workouts entirely.
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'I mean, I think if I'm Ace Bailey, I can't get mad if my stock drops,' George said. 'He's canceled all workouts. He hasn't worked out for any team. I think they made a big deal because we were scheduled to work him out, and he canceled the day of. But you're not in a position to be making those demands. Make it to the league first. It's for sure the people around him. I don't know who's representing him, but I don't think they're going about it the right way.'
Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Ace Bailey (4) Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
Bailey, a 6-foot-10 guard/forward from Rutgers, spent one season with the Scarlet Knights. He averaged 17.6 points and 7.2 rebounds over 30 games. Despite a roster that also included fellow top prospect Dylan Harper, Rutgers missed the NCAA Tournament.
Before college, Bailey won Mr. Georgia Basketball in 2024 and played in elite showcases like the McDonald's All-American Game, Nike Hoop Summit and the Jordan Brand Classic.
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Most projections have Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper as the likely top two picks. After that, things get less predictable. Edgecombe remains a strong candidate for the 76ers, and Duke's Kon Knueppel also surged up draft boards in recent weeks.
The speculation around Bailey will finally end Wednesday night when his NBA future is officially decided.
Related: Duke Basketball Gets Good Recruiting News on Monday
Related: LeBron James Issues Strong Advice to Cooper Flagg Before NBA Draft
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 25, 2025, where it first appeared.
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Sixers Reveal Why They Preferred VJ Edgecombe To Ace Bailey In 2025 NBA Draft
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Houston Rockets: A- The Rockets did not have a first-round pick ... because they traded the No. 10 pick to Phoenix for Kevin Durant, putting them in position to contend for a title after going 52-30 last season and earning the No. 2 seed in the West. Indiana Pacers: Incomplete The Pacers did not have a first-round pick, trading the No. 23 overall selection to the Pelicans, as well as the rights to guard Mojave King. In exchange, the Pacers received their own 2026 first-round selection, which they had originally shipped to Toronto in the deal that brought Pascal Siakam to Indiana. Los Angeles Clippers: B With the final pick of the night, the Clippers bolstered their interior presence, taking forward Yanic Konan Niederhauser out of Penn State. He's still a bit raw, but he should be an excellent developmental backup to center Ivica Zubac. Niederhauser should get plenty of burn as a low block defender — he ranked 12th in the country in blocks per game (2.31) — and should be a lob threat as a finisher. Los Angeles Lakers: Incomplete The No. 22 overall selection was part of the package the Lakers sent the Pelicans in the deal that brought center Anthony Davis to Los Angeles. Memphis Grizzlies: B+ This was all about replacing Desmond Bane, whom Memphis just shipped to the Orlando Magic, but on a budget. Bane had been signed to a max extension in July 2023, so he was going to become pricey. Guard Cedric Coward, a late riser in the draft process, was picked at No. 11. He has ample experience and should play right away. Memphis has a pretty solid track record in recent years of drafting. His size and shooting ability should translate instantly. Miami Heat: B Illinois' Kasparas Jakucionis was projected as a lottery pick in several mock drafts, and the Heat got him at No. 20. Milwaukee Bucks: A Did not have a first-round pick; the Bucks traded this pick to New Orleans in 2020, acquiring Jrue Holiday, who helped the Bucks win a title in 2021. Yes, the Bucks are trying to stay competitive with Giannis Antetokounmpo, but it's hard to complain about a title. Minnesota Timberwolves: C The issue with Rudy Gobert is that his offensive game can be inconsistent. And Minnesota's consecutive trips to the Western Conference finals proved that the Timberwolves need more scoring, particularly when teams game plan to take Anthony Edwards out of rhythm. Joan Beringer is only 18, so he's a project and doesn't necessarily help Minnesota get over the hump in the short term. He's explosive and full of potential. Minnesota's window to win, however, is now, and plenty of plug-and-play prospects were available at 17. New Orleans Pelicans: B- In a vacuum, both Jeremiah Fears (guard, No. 7) and Derik Queen (center, No. 13) are solid players. But they're also both at positions where the Pelicans have established players, which could mean New Orleans will be looking to sell off veterans like point guard Dejounte Murray and power forward Zion Williamson. Queen's skill set — his ball handling, vision, passing and touch — should make him too valuable to sit. The same, frankly, goes for Fears. The Pelicans have very nice pieces; the fit is a little cumbersome. New York Knicks: B- Did not have a first-round pick; the Knicks have traded significant draft capital (no first-round picks in 2025, 2027, 2029 and 2031) to build this team. Back-to-back 50-win seasons and an Eastern Conference finals appearance this season are the results so far. Oklahoma City Thunder: B Given it's the Thunder front office led by executive VP/GM Sam Presti and the track record of the Thunder acing the draft, it's a safe bet to say the Thunder found value with the No. 15 pick (Georgetown's Thomas Sorber). Orlando Magic: B At one point during the draft process, Michigan State's Jase Richardson was a projected lottery pick and the Magic got him at No. 25. Philadelphia 76ers: B The Sixers passed on Ace Bailey and took defensive-minded guard VJ Edgecombe at No. 3. He will be able to guard multiple positions. Phoenix Suns: C- There's no question: the Suns have wanted a center for a long time. They traded Jusuf Nurkić to the Hornets in the middle of the season and struggled to find a presence down low. Duke's Khaman Maluach at No. 10 — part of the trade that sent Kevin Durant to Houston — is actually great value. But, minutes prior, the Suns also reportedly completed a trade to get another former Duke center, Mark Williams, from the Hornets. This reeks of a team that didn't think Maluach would be available, got impatient, and fired off a trade. Now, Phoenix has the opposite issue: it has one big too many. Portland Trail Blazers: C This is another curious move. Clearly, Portland loved Yang Hansen, a 7-foot-1 center from China with fluid athleticism and superb passing ability. But the Trail Blazers now have three centers: Hansen, Robert Williams (who is entering the final year of his contract) and Donovan Clingan (last year's No. 7 overall selection). Even if Portland packages Williams in a salary-shedding move, Hansen, who turned 20 on Thursday, June 26, is only one year younger than Clingan. Despite his impressive skill set, he also might need time to assimilate from the Chinese Basketball Association. Sacramento Kings: B The Kings did not have a first round pick to start the night but traded into the first round, acquiring the No. 24 pick from Oklahoma City and drafting Nique Clifford from Colorado State. San Antonio Spurs: A The Spurs have the past two rookies of the year (Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle) and just picked Rutgers' Dylan Harper at No. 2 and Arizona's Carter Bryant at No. 14. The Spurs are on their way. Toronto Raptors: B The Raptors are close to making a move in the East, and Collin Murray-Boyles at No. 9 is the kind of player who fits Toronto's system. Utah Jazz: A Danny Ainge struck again. Utah got excellent value at No. 5 with Ace Bailey, an electric player who is built exactly the way teams want their wings. He has effortless athleticism and is a hyper-competitive player who should find easy buckets. And then, in a trade with the Wizards, the Jazz nabbed an experienced guard in Walter Clayton Jr., who has range and the clutch gene. Washington Wizards: B The Wizards targeted guards as part of their extensive rebuild and selected Texas' Tre Johnson sixth and acquired Illinois' Will Riley at No. 21.
