Ace Bailey's Interviews Reportedly 'Unpolished' and Compared to Anthony Edwards by GM

Rutgers star Ace Bailey "is somewhat polarizing in internal front-office conversations" ahead of the 2025 NBA draft, according to ESPN's Jonathan Givony.

Givony said the concerns largely centered around Bailey's "feel for the game and 'unpolished' team interviews, which one NBA general manager compared to Anthony Edwards' during the predraft process."

"Bailey hasn't come off as 'buttoned up' as some of his lottery peers, but drew strong marks from a handful of executives who appreciated his candor and willingness to display his big personality," the ESPN draft expert wrote.

Leading up to the 2020 draft, Edwards was candid in a way top prospects typically aren't. In the most obvious example, he told ESPN's Alex Scarborough he "can't watch basketball" and was "still not really into it."

That's not exactly the message you want to hear from somebody you might take first overall.

Of course, the Timberwolves still selected Edwards with the No. 1 pick, and he has emerged as one of the NBA's brightest talents.

Duke's Cooper Flagg remains the consensus top player on the 2025 draft board, but Bailey has the potential to be a major difference-maker. As a freshman at Rutgers, he averaged 17.6 points per game on 46 percent shooting.

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman compared the Scarlet Knights wing to the Charlotte Hornets' Brandon Miller, Denver Nuggets' Michael Porter Jr. and two-time All-Star Rashard Lewis.

Interviews can be an important part of a team's evaluation. Head coaches and general managers are like any prospective employers in that they want to get to know any prospect they may add to the roster.

Talent often trumps all, though. In the case of Bailey, it's tough to see his stock taking much of a hit before June 25.