NBA Insider Reveals 76ers Prospect Makes Major Change in Plans

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Ace Bailey was set to meet with the Philadelphia 76ers this week. That no longer seems to be the case.
According to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, the Rutgers star has canceled his workout with the Sixers. The report indicated that Bailey was set to join the Sixers’ brass in Philly on Friday for a formal meeting and pre-draft workout. On Wednesday, Bailey and his camp canceled the trip.
NEWS: Rutgers star Ace Bailey has canceled his workout with the Philadelphia 76ers, sources told ESPN.
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 19, 2025
Bailey remains the only US-based prospect yet to visit any NBA teams.
The Sixers have not ruled out selecting Bailey, sources say.
STORY: https://t.co/xiPP7zMOLb pic.twitter.com/ikFH2f9bkG
It’s unclear why Bailey suddenly changed course on the Sixers. At this stage of the pre-draft process, Bailey has yet to pay a visit to a team during the pre-draft process.
Barring any trades, the Sixers are set to go on the clock with the No. 3 overall pick next week. Bailey has been regarded as a top-four prospect throughout the pre-draft process. While Bailey was the initial favorite to land with the Sixers at No. 3, Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe has gained a lot of traction lately, especially after he had a successful pre-draft meeting with the Sixers less than two weeks ago.
Does Bailey’s cancellation confirm the Sixers will be out on him next week? Not exactly. According to Givony, the Sixers “have not ruled out” taking the Rutgers star right now.
While the freshman’s decision to refuse a workout certainly doesn’t look great, the Sixers have an idea of what Bailey could bring to the table, still, as they have one season’s worth of film and reportedly interviewed him at the NBA Draft Combine.
If the Sixers choose to pass on Bailey at No. 3, the Rutgers star is still expected to be a top lottery prospect, despite his pre-draft strategy generating a lot of question marks.
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Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia
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