Could Rutgers' Star Ace Bailey Be Actively Avoiding 76ers in the NBA Draft?

Former Rutgers wing Ace Bailey has been in the spotlight ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft. Duke's Cooper Flagg might be the consensus top prospect and a lock to go number one to the Dallas Mavericks, but even he hasn't received as much attention as Bailey. However, most of the talk surrounding the Scarlet Knight hasn't been in his favor.

For the first time in a while, Bailey's camp and his supporters finally received some good news. According to the Rutgers Men's Basketball Twitter page, Ace will be throwing out the first pitch for the New York Mets on Tuesday, June 24, the day before the NBA Draft. Considering that he played college ball just miles outside of Manhattan and Brooklyn, where the draft is being held, it's not that shocking. However, with the added context around his predraft journey, it's definitely intriguing that he chose to take the mound for the Mets.

Ace on the mound during draft week!⚾️

Catch Ace Bailey’s first pitch at the @Mets on Tuesday night around 7 p.m. #TheKnighthood🛡️⚔️ pic.twitter.com/zi7N55SXQu
— Rutgers Men’s Basketball 🏀 (@RutgersMBB) June 20, 2025

Earlier in the week, it was reported that Bailey and his camp had cancelled his scheduled workout for the Philadelphia 76ers, who possess the third-overall pick. There's been some back and forth on whether they did so because he failed to receive a draft promise from the team, but it's certain that he no longer plans on visiting with the Sixers. Since Philly has the first selection after Cooper Flagg and Bailey's teammate, Dylan Harper, are presumed to come off the board, it was especially notable that he declined to appear in front of them and try to solidify his chances of going as high as realistically possible.

But, according to ESPN's Jonathan Givony, Bailey has other priorities ahead of just draft position for his landing spot:

"Sources say Bailey's camp has informed interested teams that they believe he is a top-3 player in the draft, but also seeks a clear pathway to stardom..."

While there hasn't been much clarification on what exactly constitutes that pathway, there has been plenty of speculation that Bailey is hoping to get drafted to a team where he can be a day-one starter and have ample shots and opportunities to showcase his game.

The Sixers might have the third-overall pick, but they certainly don't check Ace's theorized boxes. With Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, rookie standout Jared McCain, and breakout candidate Quentin Grimes already on the team, Bailey would be hard-pressed to find both minutes and shots in Philly. Of the teams in the lottery, Philadelphia is expected to be one of the most competitive next season, or, at least, they'll be operating like a title contender.

The 76ers have also reportedly been shopping the third pick, to both move up to two for Dylan Harper and to trade down to turn one asset into multiple. Between the suboptimal fit and their hesitancy around selecting him, it's not difficult to see why Bailey and his camp might not be thrilled with the idea of landing in Philadelphia, and that's before factoring in their disastrous season last year or their general disappointment during the Joel Embiid era.

The reporting has made it seem like Ace Bailey might be particularly selective, a malcontent whose pickiness has led him to avoid multiple teams and, as such, turn several franchises off of him. But it's starting to feel like he might be ducking one team specifically, and throwing out the first pitch for one of Philadelphia's chief rivals might be confirmation.