Ranking Best Fits for Rutgers Star Ace Bailey in Top 5 of the NBA Draft

Rutgers' Ace Bailey has been perhaps the most intriguing prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft. He's a blue-chip talent, ranked as the second-best player in his class coming out of high school, just behind Duke's Cooper Flagg.

The perception of Flagg and Bailey after their freshman college seasons couldn't be more different, though. While Flagg cemented his status as a generational prospect in his one year with the Blue Devils, Bailey's campaign with the Scarlet Knights soiled his perception among a lot of analysts, fans, and pundits.

While his blend of size, athleticism, and talent was undeniable, his playstyle at Rutgers raised concerns about his approach to the game, his ability to generate good looks, and his willingness to defer to his teammates. Because of his elite pedigree and high-level production, he's still expected to be one of the first players off the board, but he's gone from being penciled in at two to now possibly slipping out of the top five.

A slam-dunk prospect like Cooper Flagg is a plug-and-play talent, someone who can jump onto any roster and thrive while elevating the rest of the team around him. The same can't be said for Bailey right now, but he does have the tools to possibly even overshadow Flagg when it's all said and done. For a player like Bailey, though, one with clear strengths and weaknesses, his situation can play a big role. Where he ends up getting drafted could significantly swing how his career plays out. Here are his possible destinations — teams drafting in the top five — ranked from worst to best fit.

5. Charlotte Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets have some great pieces in place in LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, but they still haven't carved out a real identity yet. On top of that, they've had some tough misses in the draft as well as a rash of disciplinary concerns with their players (see: Miles Bridges and James Bouknight). A situation like that could potentially foster the worst tendencies in Bailey's game and character while prohibiting the growth of his best qualities. That said, Ace running up and down the flanks with Brandon Miller on the opposite wing and LaMelo Ball leading the charge would be a lot of fun and could make for a lethal trio.

4. Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz desperately need a player like Ace Bailey. Despite tanking for years now, they still have yet to land a prospect worthy of being dubbed a franchise cornerstone, someone who could realistically lead an offense and carry a team to a title someday. Bailey would slot in nicely alongside Utah's wealth of strong support pieces, such as Keyonte George, Lauri Markkanen, and Walker Kessler.

While Bailey slipping to five would be a dream-come-true for the Jazz and President Danny Ainge, it would put a lot of pressure on the former Scarlet Knight to produce like a number-one option from the jump. He has the goods to possibly succeed in that role, but he could certainly struggle with all of that offensive responsibility so early on in his professional career. On top of that, it's no secret that the Jazz have their eyes set on Brigham Young commit, AJ Dybantsa. Ainge forcing Utah to tank for another year could be detrimental to the development of their young players, Bailey included, if he ends up there.

3. Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks landed the first pick in the draft despite only having a minuscule 1.8 percent chance to do so in the lottery. With that selection, they're almost certain to take Cooper Flagg. If they were absolutely enamored with Ace Bailey and took him at one or traded down for him, though, he'd be a pretty seamless fit in Dallas.

With Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis already on the Mavericks, Bailey could slide in and contribute right away as a supercharged 3-and-D wing in between Dallas's star duo. He'd be able to use his on-ball scoring in spurts as a tertiary option while focusing on his development in the more fundamental areas of the game. The only downside is that Dallas is transparently built to win now, which would make Bailey's growth less of a priority and add pressure on him to contribute right away.

2. San Antonio Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs drew the second-overall pick, which puts them in position to take Bailey's Rutgers teammate, Dylan Harper, the consensus second-best prospect in the draft. With De'Aaron Fox, Devin Vassell, and last year's fourth-overall selection Stephon Castle already on the team, Ace Bailey could be the better fit. Playing in the Spurs' culture, next to an established top option in Victor Wembanyama, and under Gregg Popovich's tutelage could be exactly what Bailey needs to bring out the best possible version of himself. Unfortunately, he'd always be a bit hidden under Wemby's towering shadow in San Antonio.

1. Philadelphia 76ers

With the Philadelphia 76ers, Ace Bailey would find the perfect convergence of his development being a priority and a simplified, reduced role for him to come along slowly. In Philly, he'd be playing alongside established talents like Joel Embiid, Paul George, Tyrese Maxey, and Jared McCain, players who will naturally come before him in the pecking order and take the pressure off of him to perform at an elite level immediately.

While he'd be playing a supplementary role, he'd be one of the Sixers' priorities. Philadelphia's only other blue-chip young talent is Jared McCain. He would join McCain as the faces of their next era, post Embiid and Paul George. A large portion of the 76ers' fandom and media have called for Philadelphia to pass on Bailey for someone like Baylor's VJ Edgecombe instead, but that would be a massive mistake. Bailey and the Sixers are a harmonious fit for each other with the third-overall pick.