Duke prospect Cooper Flagg is the consensus No. 1 prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft, but his name going off the board first next June isn’t a foregone conclusion.
“I could see (Ace) Bailey supplanting Flagg for No. 1,” an NBA executive told HoopsHype.
“I think Bailey is more talented with the ball than Flagg at this point, but I think Flagg is a better overall player than Bailey now,” the executive continued.
“Ace is more of a scoring type of player. His overall decision-making and shot selection has to get a lot better. He’s very wired to score. Athletically, I think there’s another level he can get to, but he’s still a very good athlete. Shooting-wise, I think he’s more of a scorer than a natural shooter, which over time will be fine if he’s your No. 2 guy.
I thought the same things about Brandon Miller when he was in high school. His legs don’t look great in terms of his strength, but hopefully, he can continue to put more weight on and be more physical. There’s no doubt that he’s very talented.”
Bailey has long been considered a top-three prospect, and HoopsHype’s consensus mock draft has him being selected second overall.
Committing to Rutgers over blue collar Kentucky, Bailey and Dylan Harper —HoopsHype’s consensus No. 3 prospect —will lead the Scarlet Knight’s historic recruiting class. By taking a relatively unbeaten path, they could be Rutgers’ first lottery picks since James Bailey was selected sixth overall in 1979.
NBA Executive Names Ace Bailey As Cooper Flagg’s No. 1 Draft Competitor
In comparison to Flagg, Bailey is much more of a prototypical wing. At 6-foot-8 and 210 pounds, his aerial assaults are worthy of SportsCenter Top 10 highlights. This athletic ability automatic makes him a threat when slashing or in transition. Yet, that’s not all there is to his game.
He has a knack for knocking down midrange fadeaways, the hallmark of all-time great scorers. Though his outside jumper isn’t particularly pretty, he made 44 percent of his threes above the left break last season. He made 50 percent of his jumpers from the left elbow. When scoring off-the-dribble, he’s creative and intuitive, physical but skilled.
At the defensive end, he has a knack for turning away shots at the rim. This is another area where he bears a resemblance to Flagg, who has similar size and scoring instincts.
Considering his skillset, a comparison to Philadelphia 76ers swingman Paul George is fitting. Indeed, according to an NBA scout, if the Powder Springs native “hits his ceiling,” that’s who he can become like.
“He’s a versatile combo forward whose strong senior season has many believing his ceiling is the highest in the class.”
All of that said, while Bailey has a physical advantage over Flagg, the latter is a better playmaker. Flagg’s play recognition and passing ability make him a potential Swiss Army Knife at the next level, his versatility his best skill. As a result, Flagg is likely easier to build around and thus a more enticing prospect.
Still, the team with the No. 1 pick could choose Bailey, believing the athletic gap gives him a higher ceiling. In a league where the most talented players are largely upper echelon athletes, who could blame them? A team that already has connective playmakers could also pick Bailey over Flagg, believing he fits their roster more.
