The 2024-25 NBA season is finally in the books and while fans of the Oklahoma City Thunder have a summer of celebration ahead, the rest of the league is well underway preparing for the offseason.
With the draft just a few days away, there’s already been a blockbuster trade swapping a star player for a pick in the lottery (albeit with a stunning lack of other first-rounders). So how will the draft shake out now that transactions are starting to become real? Here’s what some experts think.
ESPN
Jonathan Givony of ESPN’s Draft Express has turned in his final mock at the conclusion of the Finals and in it, dropped an interesting nugget about VJ Edgecombe, who he has the Sixers selecting with the third overall pick.
“While sources say Edgecombe appeared nervous during his private workout in Philadelphia and did not shoot the ball particularly well in an unnatural one-on-one setting, he made a strong impression in interviews and meetings, something the front office values more highly.”
A guard having a poor shooting output in a workout is bound to give the fanbase Markelle Fultz-related flashbacks. As he notes though, it doesn’t appear that the Sixers front office puts a ton of stock into one workout. It hasn’t been a secret that they’ve been impressed with Edgecombe’s character since meeting with them, which has led many to pencil him in to the No. 3 pick.
SB Nation
A part of our network, Ricky O’Donnell has completed his mock for SB Nation and he doesn’t think much has changed, at least from a Sixers perspective. His top-3 remains the same — he also has the Sixers selecting Edgecombe with the third overall pick.
There’s hardly been any movement in the top-10 from his mock earlier in the month. He has slid down Duke center Khaman Maluach from six to eight, which has allowed Texas guard Tre Johnson and Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears to jump up.
Like just about everyone else, O’Donnell is trying to figure out what the hell is going on with the Ace Bailey situation, and how teams feel about him.
“Perhaps teams will like the self-assurance from Bailey. It’s also possible his strange pre-draft process combined with his “low feel” tendencies at Rutgers could paint him as a delusional player who will be more about his own numbers than helping his team win. At a certain point, Bailey’s talent will be worth a swing regardless, and the only question is how far he falls before a team is willing to take that bet.”
Yahoo! Sports
While the Sixers selecting Edgecombe has been gaining a lot of steam, it is far from the clear consensus. Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo! has Bailey going with the third overall pick, but it’s not the Sixers who are selecting him.
In his most recent mock, he has Philadelphia trading the pick along with Kelly Oubre Jr. for the seventh overall pick, a 2026 Pacers first, and Herb Jones. Moving down four spots, O’Connor has the Sixers selecting Maluach. He’s been high on the fit in Philadelphia, operating under the assumption that they can’t bank on Joel Embiid anymore.
The barebones of this trade have been floated around a lot as, O’Connor notes, the Pelicans are reportedly very high on Bailey, making the two teams natural trade partners. He also points out though that Bailey’s stock might have fallen so much that trading up for him won’t be necessary. While refusing to work out for anyone certainly doesn’t help the Sixers drive up the price to trade up for him, O’Connor still thinks it’s possible.
“League sources continue to cite the Pelicans as a team aggressively looking to move up in the draft, with most front-office executives believing Bailey is the target of new general manager Joe Dumars. That’s why we’re mocking a trade here for this week’s mock, with Herb Jones and a low-value first in 2026 via the Pacers to move up four spots. Is there a chance Ace would make it all the way to the seventh pick? Sure. But unlikely, and this would assure the Pelicans get their man.”
CBS Sports
Colin Ward-Henninger of CBS Sports also has Bailey going third overall, but he actually has the Sixers selecting him, and for all the same reasons that projected him as a top pick despite some of the apparent red flags have come out. The positional fit makes the most sense, and the upside is too much for the Sixers to turn down in their current spot.
“It’s weird that Bailey hasn’t worked out for anyone, but the 76ers have to think in terms of not only what this pick can do for them right now, but also how he might be viewed by other teams in terms of trade value. Bailey ticks both boxes as a 6-9 bucket-getter who can immediately provide relief for Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George, but who could also be viewed as the centerpiece of a trade for another win-now player down the road.”
Either outcome he proposes here has the Sixers looking to contend again fairly quickly. Bailey could fit in with this current core, or he could be used to acquire a better fitting piece around this core.
It feels like it will be difficult for the Sixers to develop Bailey while also looking to win as many games as possible, especially with how many shots and opportunities Bailey seems to want. This dilemma has made Bailey such an intriguing prospect though and it’s what’s made this draft cycle so interesting. And if there’s one thing the mocks seems to agree on, this draft doesn’t get interesting until the Sixers are on the clock.