With under a week until the 2025 NBA Draft begins in Brooklyn, New York, Rutgers star Ace Bailey has surprised everyone by withdrawing from his workout session with the Philadelphia 76ers. The young talent’s behavior has certainly puzzled the NBA community.
With the fast-approaching draft date, Bailey is still the only U.S.-based player who has not visited any team. This action may lead him to lose his top-three draft position, which was considered secured a while ago.
Ace Bailey’s Bold ‘East Coast’ Strategy Raises Questions About Draft Stock
On Friday, popular NBA news aggregator account NBACentral highlighted how Rutgers prospect Ace Bailey’s situation has only intensified scrutiny around the talented forward’s pre-draft process. Multiple league sources confirm that Bailey’s agent, Omar Cooper, targets East Coast teams, preferring Bailey to play between ‘Atlanta and New York.’
Ace Bailey’s agency reportedly wants him to play on the East Coast, per @PompeyOnSixers
“Multiple league sources said Bailey’s agent, Omar Cooper, wanted the Sixers to commit to him before his scheduled Friday workout. One league executive believes that Bailey, once a consensus… pic.twitter.com/yEIr9xDIna
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 20, 2025
This geographic preference appears to be a calculated strategy by Cooper, who founded LifeStyle Sports Agency and has connections to the region.
Bailey’s amazing college resume, which features 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game, a 46% field goal percentage, and 34.6% shooting accuracy from the three-point line in his only year at Rutgers, should be enough to court him into college.
However, his agent’s tactics may have potentially damaged his draft stock, with some executives believing he could slide out of the top five picks.
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Even though the workout has been canceled, the 76ers are still in control of this matter. Although there has not been a physical workout yet, Philadelphia has been in regular contact with Bailey since they saw and talked to him at the NBA draft combine in Chicago.
That was when the President of Basketball Operations of Philadelphia, Daryl Morey, chose players without private workouts, as in the cases of Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain.
The Sixers now face three options: draft Bailey at No. 3 despite the red flags, select Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe (who impressed during his workout), or trade down. Teams reportedly interested in trading up for Bailey include the Washington Wizards (No. 6), New Orleans Pelicans (No. 7), and Brooklyn Nets (No. 8).
Bailey’s camp has made it clear they believe he’s a top-three talent who needs “a clear pathway to stardom” with ample minutes and usage to maximize his potential. This suggests concerns about Bailey being a fourth option in Philadelphia behind Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George.
As the draft approaches, all eyes will be on the Sixers’ decision at No. 3, which could dramatically reshape Bailey’s NBA future and potentially alter the trajectory of multiple franchises.
