Before the 2025 NBA draft, Ace Bailey was the initial prospect of the Philadelphia 76ers. As a 6-foot-7 scoring forward, Bailey showed plenty of promise to be a star in the league. However, the 76ers used their No. 3 pick to draft Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe on Wednesday, and left the Rutgers prospect to be selected by the Utah Jazz with the No. 5 pick.
Many believe that Bailey's unusual pre-draft strategy affected his draft stock. According to ESPN's Jonathan Givony, he's the only U.S.-based player to not conduct a workout with any of the 30 teams. Weeks before the main event, the forward was scheduled to do a private workout with the 76ers and meet the management.
However, the prospect canceled the meeting a day before.
Ace Bailey
Ace Bailey arrives before the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center.
Brad Penner-Imagn Images
However, the President of Basketball Operations for the 76ers, Daryl Morey, cleared the air. According to him, Bailey's decision not to do a workout with the organization had "no impact" on their decision to draft Edgecombe.
Morey said that he spoke to Bailey's agent, Omar Cooper, and didn't mind the young player's unique pre-draft approach.
"I don't try to judge, they're doing what they thought what's best for them, we were doing what's best for us. It had no impact in the decision."
Despite not landing Bailey, the 76ers still acquired a promising young player in Edgecombe. He's one of the most athletic players in the draft and recorded a maximum vertical leap of 40 inches at the draft combine. Following that, he was compared to NBA stars Dwyane Wade and Ja Morant.
The 76ers are still focused on winning an NBA title with their star trio of Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey. Adding Edgecombe gives the team a youthful and athletic dynamic.