Subscribe
Follow Us
An insider noted a realistic scenario that could happen between the Brooklyn Nets and Rutgers star Ace Bailey. Brooklyn certainly cannot be thrilled that it fell to No. 8 in the 2025 NBA Draft. That said, the Nets have five picks this year, including four first-round picks. The front office can therefore make plenty of moves heading into Wednesday, and several rumors are being floated around.
National NBA insider and reporter Brett Siegel recently linked the Nets to Ace Bailey in what would be a shocking draft-day move. The 6'10 forward is a phenomenal prospect who was projected to be a top-three pick until recently. However, according to recent reports, Bailey's reluctance to play for certain franchises might drop him down a few spots. Siegel, therefore, notes how it wouldn't be surprising if the Nets move up to take the 18-year-old.
“Since the draft is taking place in Brooklyn and Bailey will be in New York City leading up to the NBA Draft, perhaps there will be a secret meeting between the two sides to hammer out a path for the Nets to draft him. This is not a firm report that this will happen, but there have been situations like this in the past between the Nets and other teams, days before the draft.
Article Continues Below
It would not be surprising to see the Nets, or another team inside the top 10, move up a few spots and secure Bailey with this pick, especially since the Hornets do have multiple players they are considering.”
Brooklyn has plenty of draft capital for the foreseeable future amid its rebuild. The franchise doesn't necessarily have any cornerstones on its roster, but that could change after Wednesday. The question is whether Bailey fits the identity of the culture that general manager Sean Marks and head coach Jordi Fernandez are building.
There's a good chance the All-Big Ten forward drops in the draft, especially since he cancelled his workout with the Philadelphia 76ers, who hold the third overall pick. A few years ago, the Nets had three future Hall of Famers on their roster, but lacked a true culture and chemistry, which is the main reason they are rebuilding again. Ace wants a “clear path to stardom” with his new team and could see Brooklyn as the ideal fit because of the roster's current lack of star personnel. Still, now's not the time for rash decisions if Bailey is not the best fit, even if he is on paper the best available.
