Ace Perhaps the Hawks will attempt to address their ongoing issue with two first-round picks (Nos. 13 and 22), in the 2025 NBA Draft. Fischer raised doubts about whether Bailey, previously thought to be a certain top-three pick, might drop out of the top eight selections. On June 19 (Fischer noted), “NBA evaluators have concerns about Bailey’s approach to the game and his shot selection.” The older Cooper is, however, the one managing a perplexing situation, with the draft approaching in just over a week. Earlier in the day (ESPN’s Brian Windhorst pointed out that), unlike fellow Jazz first-round pick Walter Clayton Jr., Bailey had yet to travel to Utah, raising questions.
“On the offensive side, it’s going to be about making quick decisions. According to this viewpoint, it’s possible that Bailey himself was the driving force behind the decisions. The pre-draft process was spearheaded by Bailey’s longtime manager, Omar Cooper, who prioritized basketball fit over going higher in the lottery. Witlieb emphasized that Bailey’s camp had been focused on finding the best on-court situation rather than draft position. Hopefully — Bailey, his certified agents and his family can see that some of these decisions have hurt Bailey and could continue to hurt him if not stopped. So far — Ace Bailey is Omar Cooper’s highest-ranked client, with the potential to follow Cooper Flagg (No. 1) and his Rutgers teammate Dylan Harper (No. 2). With his choice to part ways with Cooper — it appears that Bailey aims to move ahead and assist the Jazz in climbing out of the bottom rankings. Before declaring for the NBA Draft in 2021, the younger Cooper participated in just 12 college games. In a troubling video, a former standout from Duke is accusing Coach K, prompting NCAAB fans to express their worries, stating, “He’s obviously facing a crisis.” It would make a lot of sense for a team interested in Bailey to attempt to rise up the draft board to secure him. At 18 years old (Bailey enters the NBA as a promising shotmaker), yet his overall defensive skills remain less refined, along with difficulties in consistently reading the court. While he didn’t slip off anyone’s draft board, further questions were raised about his pre-draft process, as he has mostly been kept away from teams. He also converted less than 30 percent of his three-point attempts, and his decision-making as a passer is still developing.
One might wonder if it is necessary for him to improve, given that his shooting ability allows him to score from virtually anywhere on the court.
From a very preliminary examination of highlight reels, he seems to be a player with an uncontestable shot in college. Notable weaknesses include shot selection (finishing at the rim), streakiness, tunnel vision, and defensive skills.
Ace’s jumper serves as his key asset in various situations, and he has frequently relied on it in the midrange this season at Rutgers.
In the past decade, Bailey has emerged as one of the most gifted pure shotmakers to come out of college basketball. A trade between Charlotte and Philadelphia appears to be a very logical agreement. It’s easy to argue that Edgecombe possesses the highest athletic potential among the remaining players on the draft board. According to a source familiar with his recent workout with the Mavericks, the team was extremely impressed by his shooting ability.
Within the first 36 selections, only 21 teams hold picks. Numerous teams are looking to make draft moves, while others aim to consolidate their selections. Maluach has become the subject of trade speculation league-wide — with several late lottery teams interested in sliding up the board to acquire him. Sharife was a McDonald’s All-American — destined for the lottery, until his status unraveled due to off-court baggage tied to family influence.pic.twitter.com/RUlSEXhgUP If the board shakes out this way with the top-seven picks going in this direction, No. 8 and No. 9 will immediately become quite valuable as trade targets. There have been more trade negotiations this year regarding teams looking to potentially move in both up and down the board than I can remember.
NBA teams show high regard for him, and his draft range seems to be in the latter half of the lottery. As potentially the most agile big man in the draft — Beringer has the capability to run the court and significant potential as a rim-running partner for De’Aaron Fox. Although Bryant didn’t start many games at Arizona this year (he was an exceptional defensive player when on the floor), showcasing impressive playmaking skills and strong on-ball defense. I have heard they might consider trade-down options to accumulate more assets and intriguing players. I doubt Fears or Bailey will slip beyond this position unless both somehow remain available.
While Maluach isn’t an exceptional shot-blocker, he is aware of his size and excels at using it to contest shots and cut off angles inside. I have been informed that the Thunder are at least looking into the possibility of moving up the draft board to ensure they secure their targeted player. Ace Bailey & Omar Cooper: Manager, Agent, Contract & the Latest News A decision made by individuals within his camp (who are supposed to prioritize his best interests), led to that situation.
Management teams and agents handle calls and organize workouts and meetings with NBA teams on behalf of players. You may have come across reports stating that Bailey has declined workouts, maintained a short list of preferred teams, and threatened not to attend training camp if drafted by an undesirable team. The immediate aftermath of Bailey’s draft selection has turned out to be substantially more dramatic and less stress-inducing than it needed to be. Cowherd remarked, “I don’t believe many agents’ players experience this situation.” BYU has restructured its athletic department; a school vice president will now supervise the football program. Hopefully, Bailey will arrive in Utah this weekend and practice with the Jazz’s Summer League team on Monday.
Recent buzz suggests Bailey might not report to the Jazz for their Summer League training camp or introductory press conference.
Fortunately, being drafted high provides Bailey with clarity regarding his potential and access to numerous opportunities, provided Cooper and his circle refrain from causing unnecessary disturbances.
Bailey recorded averages of 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game at Rutgers, sharing the spotlight with potential No. 2 draft selection Dylan Harper, son of former Michael Jordan teammate Ron Harper. Reports indicate that the Bailey camp has informed teams of their belief that he is a “top-three player in the draft,” but they also want him to be selected by a team willing to provide ample playing time. Despite the potential for his client to secure an excellent opportunity with Philadelphia, teams remain confused by the behaviors of Cooper and Bailey regarding the draft.
Knueppel’s upside is something in the vein of Desmond Bane, whom the Memphis Grizzlies just traded for four first-round picks for all the reasons discussed above. He projects to be valuable early with his ability to shoot — make decisions, process what’s happening around him spatially and play with the ball in his hands. Since lottery night, the Hornets have been thought to like Edgecombe as a fit between LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. Philadelphia has done an amazing job of muddying its potential decision at No. 3 over the last few weeks. Bailey was consistently considered a lottery pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Bailey recorded averages of 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game at Rutgers, sharing the spotlight with potential No. 2 draft selection Dylan Harper, son of former Michael Jordan teammate Ron Harper. Reports indicate that the Bailey camp has informed teams of their belief that he is a “top-three player in the draft,” but they also want him to be selected by a team willing to provide ample playing time. Despite the potential for his client to secure an excellent opportunity with Philadelphia, teams remain confused by the behaviors of Cooper and Bailey regarding the draft.
Knueppel’s upside is something in the vein of Desmond Bane, whom the Memphis Grizzlies just traded for four first-round picks for all the reasons discussed above. He projects to be valuable early with his ability to shoot — make decisions, process what’s happening around him spatially and play with the ball in his hands. Since lottery night, the Hornets have been thought to like Edgecombe as a fit between LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. Philadelphia has done an amazing job of muddying its potential decision at No. 3 over the last few weeks. Bailey was consistently considered a lottery pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.