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Top NBA Prospect's Draft Stock Takes Hit After Concerning Behavior Surfaces
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- Top NBA Prospect's Draft Stock Takes Hit After Concerning Behavior Surfaces
Top NBA Prospect's Draft Stock Takes Hit After Concerning Behavior Surfaces originally appeared on Athlon Sports .
The 2025 NBA Draft may be headlined by Duke's Cooper Flagg, but there are plenty of other potential stars in this class.
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One player who has been frequently in discussions as the second best or even top player over Flagg, is Rutgers small forward Ace Bailey.
The former five-star recruit proved he is an elite scorer the past season on a bad Scarlet Knights squad that went 15-17, as he averaged 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting 46% from the field and 34.6% from deep.
Although he frequently been projected to be a top three pick along with Flagg and his Rutgers teammate Dylan Harper, a recent mock draft by ESPN's Jonathan Givony revealed he is currently expected to fall.
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As revealed in the mock, Bailey had himself a very eventful pre-draft process that doesn't seem to be working in his favor. It started with him being measured as 6-foot-7.5 at the NBA scouting combine despite being listed 6-foot-10.
However, to add fuel to the fire, Givony revealed that Bailey is refusing to workout for teams and now has him slotted to go No. 6 to the Washington Wizards.
"Bailey's predraft workout strategy 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," wrote Givony. "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."
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Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Ace Bailey shoots the ball in the second half.Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
This unusual approach to the draft may indicate that Bailey is attempting to force his way to a certain team, and could also be indicative of receiving some questionable advice.
Something that college basketball insider Jeff Goodman highlighted on Tuesday, expressing that he has received "poor" advice, and also revealing that Bailey's agent, Omar Cooper, has demanded payment for on-camera interviews.
This could all be a part of a greater plan that no one understands, or it could cost the youngster a lot of money.
Related: Old Kevin Durant Tweet Has Social Media Buzzing Amid Trade Rumors
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
