While there are not many doubts about what the Spurs will do with the second overall pick in the 2025 draft, there has been more uncertainty about their second lottery selection. Reports indicate that they might not use it at all, trading it away for veteran help instead, which would make sense.
A riskier but interesting option would be to trade up if someone falls, sending out future draft picks to secure another young cornerstone this year. Instead of using assets to land a veteran star like Kevin Durant, the Spurs can try to land a second high-upside prospect, and one could be available.
Ace Bailey has refused to work out for teams other than the 76ers so far, and he could slide if Philadelphia picks another direction, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. If that’s the case, he would be an interesting target.
Now, the concerns about Bailey go beyond workouts. He’s a risky prospect. He measured poorly at the combine compared to expectations, standing at closer to 6’8 instead of the 6’10 he was described as by Rutgers. His best trait is his scoring, but he wasn’t efficient in college, mostly because he was overreliant on his jumper. Ace made 34.6 of his threes and shot really well from mid-range, but he didn’t get to the line a lot and barely got to the rim. He floated in the perimeter partly because he didn’t have the ball handling to get inside consistently and was bothered by physicality. It’s not just his shot selection that needs improvement, but his overall decision-making, as shown by the fact that he actually had more turnovers than assists. He showed flashes on defense, using his length and athleticism well at times to block or bother shots, but he wasn’t consistent on a team that underachieved.
Will he work on fixing those flaws? That’s a big question, because he has a star’s mindset that could end up hurting his stock. His confidence in his own skills is what could scare teams away, including the Spurs. Bailey likely wants big minutes and a featured role right away because he believes he’s ready for it, according to Givony. His comments from the combine bear that out. His shot selection is a major cause for concern for teams, but he said that what might be a bad shot for others isn’t a bad shot for him.
“What might be a bad shot to you, you don’t work on it. I work on it.”
Ace Bailey with a quote on his tough shotmaking, and how he practices shots vs. double and triple teams. pic.twitter.com/9ZoqLYPV4c
— Chase Hughes (@chasedcsports) May 15, 2025
When asked to name two strengths and a weakness, he said he has no weaknesses and more than two strengths.
Favorite part of our ESPN Combine broadcast interviews was easily Ace Bailey's answer to Sean Farnham's question.
"Ain't got no weaknesses and I got more than two strengths big dog" pic.twitter.com/RTTUXzvOla
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 16, 2025
There’s nothing wrong with confidence, but Bailey seems to lack self-awareness at this point. Again, he’s one of the youngest prospects in the draft, and his talent is undeniable, so it’s not hard to see why he might lack maturity but have bravado to spare. Plus, his shot-making really is special. It’s impossible to watch him hit some of those incredibly tough looks and not be mesmerized. The counter here would be that creating easy shots is much better than knocking down tough looks, but the postseason shows that you need guys who will just get a bucket when nothing else works. Ace is a master at it. The degree of difficulty of some of the shots he makes is so high that you often forget he’s the one who creates the hurdles. The upside is real. He could eventually become a star.
It would probably take him a while to get there, however, and he could benefit from the structure and lowered expectations that the Spurs can offer. Ace could slot in immediately as a floor spacer (38.7 percent on catch-and-shoot threes) while providing athleticism and energy on defense, like Kawhi Leonard did back in the day. The Silver and Black have other high-level young talent in tow, so the coaching staff could bring him along slowly, giving him freedom to utilize his shot-making while trying to help him refine his shot selection. If Harper is the pick with the second overall selection, reuniting the two former Rutgers stars could create a comfortable environment for both. Sliding down the draft could humble Bailey, and seeing San Antonio want him enough to move up to get him could make him appreciate the franchise.
The issue is that despite his flaws, there are teams that would be happy to draft him and keep him. For Bailey to the Spurs to be even slightly realistic, he’d have to fall past not only the 76ers but also franchises that need top-tier talent and have shown in the past they are not afraid to take risks, like the Wizards, Hornets, and Pelicans. At some point, raw skill and elite athleticism override concerns about maturity, so unless the worries increase, the price to trade up to get him could be too steep.
Still, the Spurs should at least explore the possibility of using their draft capital to pounce if Bailey or anyone else who could potentially become a part of their core suddenly drops or teams ahead of them appear open to trading down or out of the draft. Just as it was smart to move the eighth overall pick for future draft capital last year, it could be the play to target someone else in the lottery this year if others make their selections attainable. If some combination of young players and picks is in play for 37-year-old Durant, it’s rational to at least consider using some of those same assets to move up if the right prospect is available.
It’s unlikely the Spurs get Bailey. They might not even be interested in him, and there could be a bidding war for his services. Trading up from 14 could prove tricky. The most realistic scenarios involve San Antonio trading the pick for veteran help or keeping it and selecting the best player available on their big board.
If things get chaotic on draft night, however, it might not be the worst idea to be aggressive if someone slides and the opportunity to land a high-level young talent presents itself.