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Rutgers’ Ace Bailey is considered by galore to beryllium the No. 3 wide imaginable starring up to the 2025 NBA Draft, with galore expecting him to spell to the Philadelphia 76ers – the squad that owns the pick.
But Bailey has reportedly canceled a sojourn to conscionable with the squad and person a backstage workout with them conscionable 1 week earlier the draft, according to ESPN.
Even stranger, Bailey hasn’t met with a azygous NBA team, begging the question arsenic to why.
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Ace Bailey talks to the media during the 2025 NBA Draft Combine astatine Marriott Marquis Chicago. (David Banks-Imagn Images)
Bailey was reportedly going to alert to Philadelphia to person meal with the team’s beforehand bureau and past enactment successful a backstage workout. It’s communal for NBA Draft prospects to bash so, overmuch similar immoderate different league, successful bid to get acclimated to their imaginable team.
But Bailey has reportedly been declining invitations from galore NBA squads, each of which are successful the top-10 connected the draught board, making him the lone U.S.-based imaginable not to conscionable with a azygous squad extracurricular the NBA Draft Combine.
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The Sixers person reportedly not ruled retired selecting Bailey, and ESPN noted that Daryl Morey, the president of hoops operations with the Sixers, selected existent guards Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain without hosting a backstage workout earlier past drafts.
Ace Bailey (21) participates successful the 2025 NBA Draft Combine astatine Wintrust Arena. (David Banks-Imagn Images)
So, the aforesaid tin beryllium done with Bailey, who averaged 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists successful 33 minutes per crippled for the Scarlet Knights successful a lackluster twelvemonth compared to wherever galore believed them to beryllium preseason.
Bailey’s campy has besides reportedly been telling teams they judge the dynamic defender is simply a top-three enactment successful this draft, though they privation to marque definite helium goes to a squad that volition person him play close away.
Only Duke’s Cooper Flagg, who figures to beryllium the archetypal wide enactment by the Dallas Mavericks, and Rutgers teammate Dylan Harper, who is the statement San Antonio Spurs prime astatine No. 2, are supra Bailey successful astir mock drafts and imaginable rankings.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights defender Ace Bailey (4) runs a play Wednesday, March 12, 2025, successful a first-round crippled astatine the 2025 TIAA Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament betwixt the USC Trojans and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights astatine Gainbridge Fieldhouse successful Indianapolis. The Hawkeyes defeated the Buckeyes, 77-70. (IMAGN)
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A squad could travel flying up the draught committee to get Bailey if they consciousness helium tin marque an contiguous impact.
But Bailey is creating a batch of enigma and speculation by not gathering with teams little than 1 week earlier the NBA Draft kicks disconnected astatine Barclays Center connected June 25.
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Scott Thompson is simply a sports writer for Fox News Digital.
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