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Rutgers star Ace Bailey has been one of the bigger mysteries of the 2025 NBA draft. There are a lot of people–like Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George–who are sold on his talent and believe he is the best player in the draft. Then, there are others who question his maturity and his shot selection.
With the draft now just a week away and the Sixers holding the No. 3 pick, and all the cards for teams behind them, one has to wonder what the scouts and executives are saying about Bailey and whether Philadelphia should select him.
The Philadelphia Inquirer spoke with scouts ahead of the draft:
“You have to take him,” a Western Conference scout said of Bailey. “But you have to really know what you are getting. He has the highest upside. But why hasn’t he been more productive in the nuts and bolts, things that count? And there’s little things he doesn’t do.”
“But Bailey is the one if he hits,” the scout said. “If he hits, he’s better than Cooper Flagg. He’s more athletic. If they’re going one-on-one, I got Ace. I might be wrong, but I’m going with Ace.
“But the intricacies of a playoff game and knowing your assignments and stuff like that, I’m going with Cooper. I trust Cooper 100%.”
This is high praise for Bailey from scouts, but one has to wonder what Philadelphia’s direction is at the moment. The Sixers still consider themselves title contenders despite a brief detour into the woods in 2024-25 due to a ton of injuries. If Joel Embiid, George, and Tyrese Maxey are healthy, then the Sixers will have a great chance to succeed in 2025-26 and contend for a title. Whoever they pick at No. 3 will likely play right away, but there will be some that will need more development than others.
For example, Bailey has a lot of questions about his game right away and one has to wonder if the Sixers will have time to develop him while also trying to win a title. Of course, the Oklahoma City Thunder are currently showing that it is possible to contend while also developing younger players, so anything is possible in the right situation. Maybe the Sixers can do the same with Bailey and win in 2025-26.
#scouts #Philadelphia #76ers #prospect #Ace #Bailey
