The consensus No. 3 prospect of the 2025 NBA Draft does not appear interested in the team that owns the No. 3 pick.
Rutgers star Ace Bailey has canceled a visit with the Philadelphia 76ers, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, just a week before the draft is scheduled to take place in Brooklyn. Bailey had reportedly been slated to fly to Philadelphia for dinner with the team’s front office and a private workout.
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Following his refusal to meet with them, the Sixers have reportedly not ruled out selecting Bailey or even moved him down their board. The team scouted him throughout the 2024-25 college basketball season and interviewed him at the NBA Draft Combine. Givony notes that Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has selected several players in the past without a private workout, including current 76ers Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain.
Bailey has also reportedly declined invitations from multiple teams picking between third and eighth in the draft. He is the only U.S.-based prospect who hasn’t met with a single team outside of the combine.
Bailey’s camp has reportedly told teams that they believe he is a top-three player in the draft, but he also wants to land with a team that will give him plenty of minutes from the start. If he falls past the Sixers at No. 3 and the Charlotte Hornets at No. 4, they apparently believe some other teams will be aggressive in trying to trade up for Bailey.
Where does Ace Bailey actually want to go in the 2025 NBA Draft? (David Banks-Imagn Images)
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect / Reuters)
Bailey is the No. 3 prospect on NBA Draft big board of Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor, behind only Duke star Cooper Flagg and Rutgers teammate Dylan Harper, who are widely expected to go to the Dallas Mavericks at No. 1 and whoever owns the No. 2 pick (currently held by the San Antonio Spurs). Bailey has been consistently mocked to the Sixers at third, though O’Connor had the New Orleans Pelicans trading into the pick in his most recent mock draft.
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Here’s how O’Connor describes Bailey as a prospect:
Bailey is a ridiculous shot-making machine, capable of splashing contested jumpers from every spot on the floor and with the swagger of a throwback bucket-getter. But his shooting consistency, plus his raw edges as a shot creator and defender, need sanding down to turn him into a full-on star.
Despite most outlets having him at No. 3, it’s not a guarantee that Bailey goes third. It’s difficult to tell what he wants if he’s not meeting with any teams, but we might at least get an inkling when the draft is held next Wednesday.
