NBA Exec Says Ace Bailey 'Could Be Out of the League' in 5 Years in Wrong Situation

Ace Bailey seems to be the most polarizing of the top prospects in the 2025 NBA draft, with one executive believing the wrong situation could push him out of the league soon after his rookie contract would expire.

An executive for a Western Conference team told The Athletic's David Aldridge that Bailey "could be out of the league in five years" if he lands in a "dysfunctional situation."

While that's a fairly generic argument because many talented prospects have been failed by their situation, Bailey doesn't seem to have much of an interest in helping teams that might want to draft him get a feel for him as a person or player.

Per ESPN's Jonathan Givony, Bailey has not conducted one known workout with a team throughout the pre-draft process. The 18-year-old was scheduled to have a private workout with the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, but Givony and Shams Charania reported on Wednesday night he canceled the meeting.

Per Jason Dumas of 6 ABC in Philadelphia, Bailey sought a promise from the Sixers prior to committing to a meeting. Philly, which owns the No. 3 pick in the draft, has primarily been connected to Bailey and VJ Edgecombe with its first pick.

B/R's Jonathan Wasserman projected the 76ers to select Bailey in his most recent mock, but he also noted Edgecombe could get "a hard look" from the organization.

Bailey had an underwhelming season at Rutgers. He was the No. 2 overall recruit in the country, behind Cooper Flagg, and teamed up with Dylan Harper (No. 3 recruit) with the hope of leading the Scarlet Knights to prominence in the Big Ten.

Instead, Rutgers sputtered to a 15-17 record and missed the NCAA tournament. Bailey averaged 17.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in 30 starts, but there were criticisms about his tendency for shot-hunting and high turnover rate.

Even with those concerns, Bailey is still a 6'10" wing with tremendous pedigree and plenty of upside to believe he will come off the board early in the draft. Any team that selects needs to have a strong infrastructure in place to coach out his worst tendencies and help develop the talent that made him an elite college recruit just one year ago.