Cooper Flagg to Mavs, Ace Bailey to Wizards in ESPN's Final 2025 NBA Mock Draft

The Philadelphia 76ers potentially passing on Ace Bailey could send the former Rutgers standout slipping outside the top five picks of the 2025 NBA draft.

Bailey was previously projected as a potential selection by the Sixers at No. 3 behind Cooper Flagg to the Dallas Mavericks at No. 1 and Dylan Harper to the San Antonio Spurs at No. 2.

Flagg and Harper hold onto the top two spots, while Bailey slides to the Washington Wizards with the No. 6 pick in the final mock draft by ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo.

Givony wrote that Bailey has been "seemingly preferring the group of teams ranked outside the top five, specifically Washington, New Orleans and Brooklyn at No. 6-8."

Sliding in the draft could cost Bailey as much as $15 million on his first contract, Givony noted, before writing that the former Rutgers star could be hoping to recoup that value "with a much larger second contract."

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman similarly projected that Bailey would go to the Sixers in his final mock.

Wasserman noted that "there are still NBA people who'll be surprised if Ace Bailey slips to No. 6," and that "rival teams have heard little on Bailey in terms of workouts or his camp's intentions."

Bailey reportedly cancelled a scheduled dinner and workout with the Sixers last week, two days before the meeting was set to take place, Givony and Shams Charania reported for ESPN.

Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported on Tuesday the Wizards, who similarly selected Alex Sarr with the No. 2 pick of the 2024 draft after he declined to work out for the Atlanta Hawks, are hoping to draft Bailey at No. 6.

"Sources said Washington hopes Bailey’s refusal to work out for teams during the predraft process will cause him to slide," Pompey wrote.

Pompey added that "the Wizards believe that Bailey has the biggest upside in the draft. And since they’re rebuilding, the Wizards can wait for him to expand his game."

Bailey could meanwhile be hoping to get significant playing time in Washington in order to increase his value ahead of his second contract.

Where Bailey ends up will determine how the rest of the first round shakes out when the 2025 NBA draft begins on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET in Brooklyn.