The 76ers went from potentially losing their first-round pick all the way to drafting No. 3 overall coming out of the draft lottery. Philadelphia owed the Thunder a first-round pick, but it was top-6 protected, so the lottery balls bounced perfectly for the Sixers.
But the Sixers are dealing with a unique situation less than a week ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft. Projected lottery prospect Ace Bailey — who‘s a potential pick at No. 3 to the Sixers — canceled his predraft workout with Philadelphia, per multiple reports. The Sixers were set to host the Rutgers product, but his camp abruptly bailed just a couple days ahead of time.
Bailey and his representation have made headlines in the past week because of how they’ve gone through the predraft process. Normally, prospects visit interested teams ahead of time and get in a workout. Cooper Flagg recently visited the Mavericks, who own the No. 1 pick, to get to know the front office and other personnel.
But Bailey hasn’t worked out for a single team ahead of the draft. He did go through drills and interviews at the NBA draft combine. But otherwise, front office executives and others have questioned how Bailey’s camp has navigated the past few weeks.
Now, there’s still a chance the Sixers end up taking Bailey or another prospect like V.J. Edgecombe. There could also be other explanations, like Bailey getting a guarantee from a team or trying to manipulate his way to a certain situation. Some teams have bigger opportunities for an incoming top pick who doesn’t turn 19 until August. Other teams have more established rosters, so minutes are harder to come by in comparison.
Regardless, Bailey is projected to go high in the draft for a reason. The forward showed out during his lone year at Rutgers, averaging 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 30 games. He hit tough shots all season, playing in one of the best conferences in college basketball.
Bailey will likely get picked early in the draft despite the murmurs about him. He’s that talented. But where he ends up is one of the big early question marks of the draft.