Former Rutgers star Ace Bailey has opted to cancel his lone scheduled pre-draft workout, with the Sixers, sources inform Jonathan Givony of ESPN.
Bailey, projected as a top prospect in this month’s draft, had rejected workout invitations from lottery teams prior to this slated Philadelphia audition. The Sixers possess the No. 3 overall pick.
A 6’10” wing, Bailey averaged an impressive 17.6 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 1.3 APG across 30 healthy contests for Rutgers this past season. He earned 2025 All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Freshman honors for his play.
The young star is considered a high-upside scorer and shot creator, but his strategy to avoid team workouts has puzzled clubs and could compel a draft slide. This Philadelphia situation certainly won’t help that. Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports tweets that flights, hotel accommodations, and dinner plans had all been scheduled for Bailey’s visit.
Still, the 76ers haven’t ruled out the possibility of drafting Bailey, having scouted him “extensively” during the season, according to Givony, who points out that the team previously selected Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain without having brought them in for private workouts.
Duke forward Cooper Flagg and Bailey’s former Scarlet Knights teammate Dylan Harper are widely anticipated to be the top two selections this year, with Bailey, Baylor forward V.J. Edgecombe, Texas guard Tre Johnson, Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Frears, Duke center Khaman Maluach, and Duke wing Kon Knueppel among the next tier of young NBA hopefuls.
The Blue Devils and Rutgers could have a virtual stranglehold on the 2025 draft’s top eight spots, with five players anticipated to be selected between the two programs. Unlike Rutgers, however, Duke actually made the NCAA Tournament this past March.
Givony previously reported that Bailey’s camp views him as a top-three prospect in this year’s draft class, but wants him in a situation where there’s a path to stardom, including regular minutes and usage as a rookie.
Virtual strangled? Kinky
Anyone have any idea why he’s doing this? I’m thinking he doesn’t like any of the teams around his projected spots. Or maybe he’s scared to embarrass himself? I have no clue but this is weird
I know if I’m NBA brass, I’m thinking the same thing… scared of embarrassing himself. Refusing to work out for anybody?? Could cost him a few bucks…
Doesn’t want to catch the process and miss a few seasons due to injury…? Lol
Hiding an injury is my actual guess…
He had to do medicals at the combine a few weeks ago to be draft eligible. Any major injury would be real recent.
My guess is your first one, he doesn’t want to go either 3 or 4 to a team he doesn’t like. There’s probably someone in the top 10 he would like to play for that is reciprocating his interest.
He doesn’t want to play for Philly and be a 6th option behind Embiid, Maxey, George, and possibly McCain and Grimes. Lack of possessions/development is how top prospects turn into Darko Milicic and James Wiseman.
He probably does not want to play for one of the worst run organizations in the NBA for the past decade.
And he would be correct. Going to Philly is a death sentence for his career.
Philly is a joke and has been since the Process.
Being better against low level competition is how top prospects turn into Darko and Wiseman.
Darko played 312 games and 7,000 minutes from Age 21-25. He had 48.7 TS% as a center. He had his chances. He made 52M in his career.
They were misevaluated and shouldn’t have been drafted as high as they were.
The Covid draft was super F’d up where teams couldnt do real workouts, and were limited to a couple people when conducting the one solo workout they were allowed to do. Like no bringing in a bunch of guys and scrimmaging, just zoom meetings and old tape.
You must remmeber how LaMelo could never find WiFi to make a zoom w Warriors….he wanted to go to Cha
KInda same sitch here w Ace Imo
Some speculation out there that his agent is doing him a disservice. Not sure what part of the rumor mill is true/untrue. I will say as a Wizards fan (its rough, I know xD) , would love to see the guy drop to that six pick as unlikely as it initially seemed. If he does indeed fall in the draft I do think someone is going to get a steal, which may or may not be what his agent is angling for, the best possible spot for his client to showcase his talents and then get a big payday for both of them. But I’m not privy to such information so all I can provide is speculation.
He’s just doing the Shadeur Sanders thing…no idea why…
Ace Bailey: Come to Golden State please!!
Lol, as you would.
Who would want to go to the 76ers with Embiid stinking up that team.
He may cost himself some cash on his first contract but if he goes to a team that will give him more time, his second contract more than makes up for that.
VJ SEASON
Is he trying to go to Washington? I mean, they already succeeded in getting Sarr that way last year.
He doesn’t wanna be in Philly…who could blame him.
Interesting strategy. I get picking and choosing, but it seems weird to not do ANY private workouts unless you have something specific you want to hide.
Or steering yourself to a preferred destination slightly down the draft who have already indicated they will take you if you get there.
Why are so many people still saying hes 6’10”??? He measured under 6’8″ at combine yet most talking heads are still saying 6’10”. I want him in Philly cause I believe hes going to be a bust and I can’t stand Philly.
Thats in shoes. He was 6’8″ and change bare foot, but you play in shoes.
Another person who wouldn’t go to Philly even if you paid them…color me shocked
Playing time, touches, and shots promised by a lower selecting team… Washington(6)/New Orleans(7)??
I am not surprised with this attitude, could be a minor injury or that he is really more than an upside guy than the real thing or that he sucks in defense and teams are paying more attention than ever to that. But what strikes me the most is that Rutgers did not make it to the Big Dance and that reminds me to Ben Simmons in LSU and Fultz in Washington, 2 number 1 picks that also miss the NCAA postseason and have work ethic concerns. At that time I asked why if they are so good they cannot carry their teams to make it to the dance which is not that difficult.
Well, that echoed in the pros been both colossal busts. Hope that’s not the case with Ace but this is the first red flag certainly
Simmons is a different story. He looked as good as anyone could have hoped early in his career, especially considering that injury in preseason.
His phycological and chronical physical (lower back) problems came after that. He’s still the most talented player from that draft class, despite never fully realizing it.
If only he shot with the correct hand lols…
Imagine being considered a top 3 pick and refusing to work out for a team u are afraid will not have enough shots for u to develop. Ace is trash. He doesn’t care about anything but how many points he can score. After all the dude went to Rutgers played on a crappy team just to put up some decent numbers. Please sixers stay away
Sounds like a candidate to go to Washington, pair up with Sarr, and with the backcourt of Carrington and AJ Johnson, lose 70 or more games and be the part of the worst team in the history of the league by all metrics.
Let’s see how it goes.
Making a 7-15M mistake. Might wanna fire or distance himself from whomever is in his camp.
yeah bc going to a losing franchise who’s claim to fame is some of the worst decisions in the past decade will be positive for the kids career.
Playing for Philly means you wont be on a playoff team and having to play for a team that revolves around a guy who does not play bc of injury and when he does is good 1 out of 4 games and dominates the ball.
I was wondering when a player would do something like this.
Philly is a terrible organization.
Further, Philly fan has NO issues running players they dont like off the team. Ben Simmons, Fultz, Al Horford.
His agent is smart. He is doing his job.
Playing for the Wizards has way more potential than going to the bball graveyard that is Philly.
Yea you shouldn’t advise anyone either.
Passing up on guaranteed money for no reason is dumb. 3rd pick gets 50m total based on 2025. 5th gets 41M, 6th 37M, he slides to 9 or 10 28-27M.
Who cares. The most overrated prospect in a decade. He will amount to nothing and demand five trades in six years.
Well did you guys notice what his people said about they want him to be in a situation where he could be a star? The only reason I can think of is he is purposely not trying to get drafted by Philly and reason being is if he does you figure the pecking order is what Tyrese,Joel,George,Grimes, Jared. So without playing a single game or doing a single training camp he’s already at best 6 on the pecking order. If he drops to Utah or New Orleans or Brooklyn at worse he’s probably the third option. Still the situation is very strange
You can actually search this if you really wanted to Know…….
There are rumors out there. He wants a preferred location. Or a better situation where he will start. Where he can be the star he thinks he is.
I certainly wouldn’t want anything to do with him. The Team that takes him better know. What they are getting themselves into.
The reality of the situation for Philly. Is they don’t need Bailey now. Certainly don’t need his prima donna attitude now. They are expected to be a contender. So let this diva go throw his hissy fits on another team. Philly needs help next year. So which players, which can provide that. What position is biggest need. Bailey as a player doesn’t fit any of that so run run just run away.
Trade down and get the player you need Knueppel, Fears. Imo these are the best available for them. Jazz, Wiz, Pels all might trade up. I believe Fears and Kon will be gone by pick 8. So then you are looking at young upside talent that will take time. Fears cause he plays a position of need is worth taking. To me the Kon is best pick. As long they get another player or pick.
Latest mocks have Bailey dropping out of top 5. VJ is a player most teams would want. So moving the pick should be easy to do. They can just draft VJ then move him later. VJ is a player they can even keep.
He’s clearly not physically ready for the NBA – maybe in 2 years. Learn behind George and without pressure to be the man until he’s ready.
Replace the agent with someone who’s been through the wars.
I’d say if a guy is willing to lose that amount of money to avoid playing in a certain place, he has a very, very good reason for it. Maybe it’s the reasons y’all have mentioned, and maybe it’s something else. But the kid’s got the balls to leave a lot of money on the table to bet on himself in the place he wants to be, and there’s something to be said for that kind of confidence, I think.
Philly should draft him anyways like they did Charles Barkley.
How many touches does he win by joining the 6ixers.They still have a dysfunction in Philadelphia. Why? Don’t know maybe poor management.
He wants to be the man with the WIZARDS.
Good luck with that.
If this were the only thing the kid did, then it wouldn’t be a big negative. Players don’t generally rush to do private workouts for teams that they don’t prefer to go to relative to the teams that draft immediately after them. No prospect wants to go to PHI, as they are neither a contender nor a rebuild, and have the insufferable Morey at the helm.
In his spot, working out ONLY for 1 or 2 of CHA, UTH and/or WSH, if requested, would make sense.
So when he falls to 8 and forfeited 15-20M it’ll be him and Cam Thomas fighting over bad shots.
Make the all rookie team help your team to make the playoffs he’s been in pool over the years and make all that back in a happy place.
Tired of hearing Philly is a crap organization. I been a fan since Dr J came there. They can develop players and every team has a miss like Okafor. Philly was desperate to get that Championship signing PG. Every fan knew he was on the downside. PG has been overrated since Indy.
I’d be looking at Ace and how he did VS upper echelon players in the Big 10. Attitude is he’s a Stat player and not a Star player.