After months of mock drafts, tanking, lotteries and rumors, the NBA Draft is finally nearly here.
With the Philadelphia 76ers weighing their options for their No. 3 overall pick, there are several players’ names that seem to be dominating the conversation. One of those names has been Ace Bailey. The 18-year-old out of Rutgers University will reportedly visit the Sixers this upcoming Friday, according to The Athletic’s Tony Jones.
There have been multiple reports of Ace Bailey working out for the Philadelphia 76ers. That workout, according to league sources, is scheduled for Friday
— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) June 18, 2025
Now, this may sound routine. Typically, it is routine — draft prospects meet with drafting teams, work out, interview and more. Bailey, however, has reportedly gone a different route, adding another polarizing layer to his profile as a draft prospect and possibly even affecting where he’ll ultimately land next week.
In fact, an ESPN mock draft update from Tuesday morning has Bailey falling to pick No. 6 overall, to the Washington Wizards. The movement out of the top five may sound surprising, as Bailey had been widely projected to go third or fourth overall in previous mock drafts across the industry. So, what changed?
It turns out Bailey may reportedly be hurting his own campaign in the closing weeks here leading up to the draft, according to that ESPN report.
“Bailey’s predraft workout strategy has perplexed some observers, as he has yet to conduct a single known workout to date, having declined invitations from several teams within his draft range. Sources say Bailey’s camp has informed interested teams that they believe he is a top-3 player in the draft, but also seeks a clear pathway to stardom, perhaps feeling comfortable that a team will trade up to get him at Nos. 3 or 4, should he drop.”
The first eyebrow raise comes at the fact that Bailey has not participated in a single known workout with any NBA team with just a week’s time away, declining invitations from several. His reported visit with the Sixers later this week would be his first of the draft cycle.
(A bold strategy. I sure hope this kid isn’t getting bad advice.)
The other aspect of the report that is something to watch is Bailey seeking “a clear pathway to stardom.” It certainly sounds like Bailey and his team are set on him going somewhere he will be able to play and develop early and often.
That, combined with the fact that he is seemingly refusing to meet with prospective teams, could mean several things. One option is that Bailey and his team may already have a path in mind, perhaps outside his originally predicted draft range, which ESPN pointed out.
“Some teams question whether Bailey has received assurances of being selected by a team currently outside the top five, to a situation deemed more advantageous from a geographic and playing time perspective.”
Well, it would certainly makes more sense to not meet with any teams if you already think you’re going somewhere specific. But, again, it’s a very bold strategy for a player like Bailey who has drawn a wide variety of opinions even before this.
Speaking in terms of the Sixers specifically, the team has already metwith another prominent candidate for the third overall pick at the upcoming draft in VJ Edgecombe. The Baylor freshman guard was “said to have impressed with his work ethic, personality and interviews. He went to dinner with Morey and other Sixers higher-ups” on his visit to Philadelphia, according to NBA Insider Jake Fischer.
(That’s probably more the type of approach I would take with NBA teams if I was looking to get drafted, but I digress.)
In addition, Duke guard Kon Knueppel said on Bill Simmons’ podcast that he will have a Zoom interview with the Sixers this week. Up to this point, Knueppel has not worked out for the team.
Back to Bailey. From physical attributes to strengths and weaknesses on the floor, he was already a bit of a polarizing prospect. One can imagine that these reports on his predraft activities will only put fuel on that fire as we enter the final week before the draft.