The 2025 NBA Draft has finally arrived, and fans are looking forward to see which prospects their favorite teams will select. It's a foregone conclusion that Duke superstar and projected No. 1 pick is heading to the Dallas Mavericks. After that, the other main focus will be on where one Rutgers star will end up.
Rutgers had two of the top prospects in the country in Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey. The belief was that Harper would go second-overall to the San Antonio Spurs, which became a reality on Wednesday night. As for Bailey, he ended up falling out of the Top 3 of the draft and ended up with the Utah Jazz with the No. 5 pick.
Fans may be wondering why Bailey fell down the draft boards despite being a highly-touted prospect in this class.
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What resulted in Ace Bailey's NBA Draft stock falling?
One of the main reasons why Bailey's draft stock fell on Wednesday is due in part to his unwillingness to meet with teams throughout the pre-draft process.
Bailey notably had a private workout and dinner set up with the Philadelphia 76ers, who held the No. 3 overall pick. However, Bailey canceled the plans. Despite this, the 76ers were still expected to consider Bailey for the third-overall pick.
Bailey and his agent also refused to meet with other teams who hold picks between the No. 3 and 8 spots. ESPN's Jeremy Givony reports that Bailey refused to work out for the Charlotte Hornets and Utah Jazz, who hold the Nos. 4 and 5 picks. Givony also says that Bailey seemingly preferred to join the Washington Wizards (No. 6), New Orleans Pelicans (No. 7), and Brooklyn Nets (No. 8).
Then, there were Bailey's interviews at the NBA Scouting Combine, which reportedly didn't go well at all, according to The Athletic's Sam Vecenie.
"His pre-draft interviews with teams at the NBA Draft Combine did not go particularly well, as it seemed like he went into them a bit ill-prepared for what was being asked of him, according to sources," writes Vecenie. "They weren’t so bad as to knock him off of anyone’s board, but they raised further questions about what exactly has been happening with his pre-draft process, as he’s largely been shielded from teams."
Long story short, Bailey had a plan in place to end up on a team he would prefer to begin his NBA career and become a potential young superstar, instead of going early. He may not have gotten his wish, but he does have a chance to shine on the Jazz.