The 2025 NBA Draft is just a few days away, and the excitement is off the charts for this year’s draft. While Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper seem pretty much nailed to the No. 1 and 2 spots. The third pick, which lies with the Philadelphia 76ers, is proving to be a huge dilemma for all the teams. That’s because Rutgers star Ace Bailey, who’s expected to be the third pick in this year’s draft, has surprisingly emerged as one of, if not the biggest mystery of this class. The 18-year-old has left many NBA teams perplexed with his move.
Why? You might ask. Well, while Flagg and the other prospects have already visited teams over the past month or so, Bailey is the only U.S.-based player yet to make a visit to any franchise. Just a few days back, the guard cancelled his visit to the Sixers. Although the 76ers have not ruled out drafting the 18-year-old, this move from Bailey has surely raised quite a few eyebrows. However, according to a few reports, these unusual tactics before the draft could be part of Ace Bailey and his agency’s bigger plan.
Yes, you heard us, things are getting interesting around Bailey. “There’s also been some quiet rumblings that Brooklyn could look to move up inside the top five—potentially with an eye on Ace Bailey—and what agents and scouts believe is Bailey’s strong interest in landing in Brooklyn.” Journalist Rafael Barlowe reported on X. That’s stunning news to say the least. The Brooklyn Nets, who hold four first-round picks in this year’s draft, have suddenly become a legitimate contender to land a prospect once considered out of range.
The connection between Ace Bailey and the Nets is something to monitor:
“There’s also been some quiet rumblings that Brooklyn could look to move up inside the top five—potentially with an eye on Ace Bailey—and what agents and scouts believe is Bailey’s strong interest in… pic.twitter.com/ypZ0hBRmfs
— The Brooklyn Way (@Jersey2Brooklyn) June 21, 2025
Although Bailey, apart from being a mystery, has also shown some potential red flags that the scouts warned the Sixers about, the Nets are ready to risk it all. Why though? To cut to the chase, Ace Bailey is just too good to pass on. The Rutgers guard has already gained massive praise from the likes of Paul George, DeMarcus Cousins, and even Hall-of-Famer Carmelo Anthony, all of whom have raved about the 6-foot-10 prospect’s talent. We mean, his stats for Rutgers also speak volumes!
Ace Bailey averaged a stunning 17.6 points along with 7.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists. Moreover, moving to the Brooklyn Nets makes a lot of sense for the 18-year-old. Simply because the franchise is loaded with assets, and given that he played for Rutgers, his new home could be just an hour away. By the looks of it, the Nets front office is sold on Bailey’s upside despite scouts labelling him “immature” during the workouts. However, his draft stock might take a hit after his latest comparison to Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum.
Ace Bailey’s weird draft approach gets a surprising Jayson Tatum comparison
Ace Bailey’s team is taking an unorthodox approach ahead of the NBA Draft. We all know that the Rutgers star is easily a top-three pick, given his spectacular skill set. In fact, he might even be the best shooter in this year’s draft. Well, you don’t have to take our word for it; NBA scouts have said this about the 18-year-old prospect. “If Ace clicks, he’s a Hall of Famer.” And we’re keeping it real, he does have that potential, for sure. But the unorthodox approach to finding the most suitable spot for Bailey by his team might do more harm than good in the long run.
Nov 15, 2024; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Ace Bailey (4) dribbles up court during the second half against Monmouth Hawks forward Jaret Valencia (2) at Jersey Mike’s Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
There’s no doubt that players a free to have preferred spots, but not showing up for any of the visits isn’t ideal, is it? ESPN journalist Michael Wilbon and Frank Isola would agree with that. “I think his approach to this is not the right way to do it. I’ll give you a little history lesson, too. Remember the kid, Jackson from Kansas, Josh Jackson, the Celtics wanted to meet with him. They were flying to the West Coast for a workout, but he canceled it. So they said, “All right, well, we’re not going to draft him, we’ll draft Jayson Tatum instead.” We know where Jayson Tatum is, where’s Josh Jackson?” Isola said on ESPN’s Pardon The Interruption.
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