With the 2025 NBA Draft taking place on Wednesday night, insiders and reporters have been releasing more news on how the highly coveted night will play out.
One hot topic that's drawn headlines is where Rutgers' prospect Ace Bailey will land as he pursues his dreams of playing in the NBA.
Ace Bailey.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Ace Bailey (4) in the second half against the Indiana Hoosiers.
Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Bailey has been a drama-filled prospect in recent days as he's made it known that there's specific franchises that he would be willing to go and play for.
After the 6-foot-10, 200-pound hybrid guard/forward decided not to work out for a single team that invited him in the pre-draft process, Bailey's draft stock has been plummeting in recent days.
Ace Bailey was initially projected as a top-three pick in this year's draft, but he now appears likely to fall out of the top five after recent reports.
According to ESPN draft analyst Jonathan Givony, "Ace Bailey’s camp has made it known that they do not want him to be drafted by the Hornets or the Jazz."
If this is the case, the Hornets hold pick No. 4 and the Jazz control pick No. 5, so Ace Bailey's stock could be falling more and more as draft day progresses.
The Wizards currently hold the No. 6 pick, and with recent news that they've traded a couple of young players like Jordan Poole, Sadiq Bey, as well the No. 40 pick in Wednesday's draft to the New Orleans Pelicans for veteran guard CJ McCollum, forward Kelly Olynyk, and a future second-round pick, it appears Washington could be building a veteran foundation to potentially help guid Ace Bailey to NBA stardom.
Nothing is for certain, and there's a possibility that trades take place, but pieces to the story are starting to come together and Ace Bailey's draft drama will be answered as the draft begins on Wednesday.