Ace Bailey has been labeled the most polarizing prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft, and he is not helping his case with the latest decision of a perplexing pre-draft process.
The former Rutgers star on Wednesday cancelled a private workout and visit with the Philadelphia 76ers that was scheduled for this weekend, a league source confirmed to NJ Advance Media’s Adam Zagoria. He was scheduled to fly into Philadelphia on Thursday.
Bailey was “seeking a promise from the Sixers,” who have the No. 3 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, before committing to a meeting, according to ABC6’s Jason Dumas.
The decision means that Bailey remains the only United States-based prospect in this year’s draft pool that has yet to visit a team during the pre-draft process. He has declined invitations from multiple teams in his draft range, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, who placed Bailey at No. 6 in his latest mock draft.
The pre-draft strategy is a major reason Bailey is the most polarizing prospect in the draft, according to Givony:
Bailey’s predraft workout strategy has perplexed some observers, as he has yet to conduct a single known workout to date, having declined invitations from several teams within his draft range. Sources say Bailey’s camp has informed interested teams that they believe he is a top-3 player in the draft, but also seeks a clear pathway to stardom, perhaps feeling comfortable that a team will trade up to get him at Nos. 3 or 4, should he drop.
Some teams question whether Bailey has received assurances of being selected by a team currently outside the top 5, to a situation deemed more advantageous from a geographic and playing time perspective.
Despite his refusal to visit, the Sixers have not ruled out selecting Bailey, per Givony, who notes that President of basketball operations Daryl Morey has selected several players in the past without a private workout, including star guards Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain.
Bailey’s camp has “informed interested teams that it believes he is a top-three player in the draft, but also seeks a clear path to stardom, hoping to find a situation with ample minutes and usage to maximize his full potential,” according to Givony.
The NBA Draft is set for Wednesday, June 25, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
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Brian Fonseca may be reached at bfonseca@njadvancemedia.com.