Former Rutgers standout and projected 2025 NBA Draft lottery pick Ace Bailey has canceled his workout with the Philadelphia 76ers, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. Philadelphia, which owns the No. 3 pick, has not ruled out selecting Bailey despite the development.
This continues what has been a strange pre-draft process for Bailey, who still has not worked out for an NBA team. He is the only U.S.-based prospect not to work out for any teams, and that fact could cause a draft-day slide.
“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, hoping to find a situation with ample minutes and usage to maximize his chances of reaching his full potential,” Givony wrote.
Bailey, No. 4 on CBS Sports’ Top 100 Prospect Rankings, is still a betting favorite (-210) to be selected in the top five of the NBA Draft according to FanDuel Sportsbook, However, he was at -250 just before Givony’s latest report. Bailey remains the second-favorite (+480) to go third overall behind Baylor wing VJ Edgecombe (-230), but Bailey’s odds had been +350 previously.
When it comes to Philadelphia in particular, Bailey was scheduled to work out for the team and have dinner with team brass Friday. He canceled Wednesday.
The 76ers are coming off a brutally disappointing 24-58 season that was derailed by injury. However, Philadelphia does have what should be a solid core in Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George, and 2024 first-round pick Jared McCain was playing well before his own season-ending injury.
NBA Draft rumors: Rutgers’ Ace Bailey could be slipping after declining workouts with several teams
Cameron Salerno
Bailey was already considered a polarizing prospect before he began declining workouts. An uber-talented wing with tremendous length, Bailey posted 17.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in his lone season with the Scarlet Knights. However, questions about his shot selection and shot quality — a lot of his attempts were from the midrange — linger. His pre-draft strategy may only add to the list of concerns.
After Cooper Flagg at No. 1 to the Dallas Mavericks and Dylan Harper at No. 2 to the San Antonio Spurs, mock drafts are all over the place. In his latest mock draft, Kyle Boone had the 76ers selecting Bailey, though that was before he canceled his workout.
