NBA Execs Divided on Ace Bailey, VJ Edgecombe's Star Upside in 2025 Draft

A pair of top prospects in this year's NBA draft class reportedly is drawing polarizing opinions from evaluators.

The Athletic's Sam Vecenie unveiled his latest mock draft on Wednesday, and he revealed some interesting information about Rutgers freshman wing Ace Bailey and Baylor freshman guard VJ Edgecombe, both of whom are projected to be top five picks.

Vecenie predicted that Edgecombe would be selected third overall by the Charlotte Hornets and Bailey would be chosen right after him by the New Orleans Pelicans with the No. 4 pick. B/R's Jonathan Wasserman was also aligned with those projections in his latest mock draft. However, it appears that scouts aren't fully convinced that either player will develop into a star at the NBA level.

Bailey was the most highly-touted freshman in this year's class behind Duke's Cooper Flagg, and he showed signs of being an elite scorer throughout a lackluster season for Rutgers that ended without a berth in the NCAA tournament. Still, he will have to work hard over the next few months to convince scouts that he isn't a one-dimensional player who can't impact the game in other ways besides scoring.

"He’s likely to go in the top five, but there is a bit of polarization about him," Vecenie explained. "Some see real star upside, while some see a good, Michael Porter Jr.-like role player, and yet others worry significantly about his decision-making. The pre-draft process will be incredibly important."

Edgecombe endured an up-and-down freshman year for Baylor, starting the season slowly before finding his groove midway through the year until a quiet finish to the campaign. There are questions about his effectiveness as a primary ball-handler at the next level, but he will have the chance to prove his detractors wrong as Baylor makes its way through the NCAA tournament, starting with its first-round matchup against Mississippi State.

"NBA executives are mixed on Edgecombe’s on-ball upside. Some will compare him to Victor Oladipo, whereas others see him more as a terrific 3-and-D player with some transition force with his nuclear levels of explosive athleticism," Vecenie stated.

However, Vecenie also pointed out that many believe Edgecombe has a high floor, so teams would be comfortable taking him in the top three.

"Because he plays really hard and defends, the intel is quite positive; it’s hard to see how exactly he fails totally, and he maintains a degree of upside long-term if the ball skills continue to improve," Vecenie added.