Could the Nets be the preferred destination for Rutgers' Ace Bailey?
The Brooklyn Nets head into the 2025 NBA Draft with the eighth overall pick and they could be missing out on the cream of the crop in the class. However, Brooklyn may be able to take advantage of the fact that some talented player slides in almost every draft and one such players may be indicating his preferred landing spot.
"One league executive believes that Bailey, once a consensus top-three pick, probably will drop in the draft because of his agency's tactics," Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported recently when talking about Rutgers forward Ace Bailey. What makes this news interesting is that Pompey also reported that the Nets are one of the teams that would be interested in trading up for Bailey if he falls.
"Bailey remains the only American-based draft prospect to not visit any teams for a workout," Pompey continued. "Another league executive believes that the agency wants Bailey to remain on the East Coast and play somewhere between Atlanta and New York."
With the news that Brooklyn is one of the teams that would be interested in Bailey already known, it seems that Bailey trying to remain on the east coast could be something to monitor. Pompey also wrote that "sources say the Washington Wizards (who will select sixth), New Orleans Pelicans (seventh), and Brooklyn Nets (eighth) are interested in moving up to take him."
With the assumption that Bailey prefers to play on the east coast, that still means that the Wizards could have the insane track on him, especially since they have the sixth overall pick. Despite all of the reporting on Bailey in the past few days, there isn't any indication on how many teams Bailey would be okay playing for so playing for Washington is on the table.
Prior to the beginning of the 2024-25 season, Bailey was perceived as being the consensus second-best player in the class until his teammate, Dylan Harper, showed more of what he could do while playing alongside Bailey. Assuming that Bailey still has the talent that once made people wonder if he was the best player in the class, Brooklyn may be able to benefit from Bailey's projected drop.
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Associated Press
15 minutes ago
- Associated Press
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Associated Press
25 minutes ago
- Associated Press
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