{"id":145191,"date":"2025-06-17T12:34:16","date_gmt":"2025-06-17T16:34:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=145191"},"modified":"2025-06-17T12:34:16","modified_gmt":"2025-06-17T16:34:16","slug":"workout-curveball-ace-baileys-unseen-moves-stir-speculation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/06\/17\/workout-curveball-ace-baileys-unseen-moves-stir-speculation\/","title":{"rendered":"Workout Curveball: Ace Bailey\u2019s Unseen Moves Stir Speculation"},"content":{"rendered":"

NEW YORK \u2013 <\/strong>Airious Bailey,<\/a> one of the 2025 NBA Draft\u2019s most tantalizing prospects, has left scouts and front offices puzzled. The 6-foot-9 forward, also known as Ace Bailey, was once projected to be a near-lock for the top three. Now, Ace Bailey’s reluctance to participate in pre-draft workouts is casting a shadow over that assumption.<\/p>\n

Draft Workout Curveball: Ace Bailey\u2019s Unseen Moves Stir Speculation<\/h2>\n

According<\/a> to ESPN\u2019s Jonathan Givony, \u201cBailey\u2019s predraft workout strategy has perplexed some observers, as he has yet to conduct a single known workout to date.\u201d The lack of activity has prompted several teams to reevaluate his standing. The latest ESPN mock draft now places Bailey with the Washington Wizards<\/a> at No. 6.<\/p>\n

Inside the Ace Bailey Workout Strategy<\/h3>\n
\"Ace
Oct 17, 2024; Piscataway, NJ, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Airious Bailey (4) celebrates with guard Dylan Harper (2) during a timeout in the second half against the St. John’s Red Storm at Jersey Mike’s Arena. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ace Bailey\u2019s workout approach\u2014or lack thereof\u2014has been deliberate. Givony reports that Bailey\u2019s representatives \u201chave informed interested teams that they believe he is a top-3 player in the draft.\u201d They also want a \u201cclear pathway to stardom,\u201d and are confident that a team could trade into the third or fourth slot to select him if he slips.<\/p>\n

This targeted strategy implies Bailey\u2019s camp views certain destinations\u2014possibly even outside the top five\u2014as more favorable for development and exposure. But this decision to avoid workouts has created uncertainty.<\/p>\n

One team source told Givony that Bailey is “polarizing in internal front-office conversations.” Concerns range from \u201chis feel for the game\u201d to a \u201clack of polish,\u201d which may widen his expected draft range.<\/p>\n

Missed Opportunities, Gained Doubt<\/h3>\n

Bailey\u2019s absence from team meetings and workouts has already cost him. ESPN\u2019s mock draft now places Duke’s<\/a> Kon Knueppel<\/a> and Texas’ Tre Johnson<\/a> above him on its latest board. Meanwhile, freshman standout V.J. Edgecombe<\/a> recently leapfrogged Bailey in ESPN’s latest projection after impressing the Philadelphia 76ers<\/a> in a private session.<\/p>\n

Givony notes, \u201cEdgecombe takes over this spot from Ace Bailey\u2026 where sources say he made a strong impression in a private workout.\u201d Bailey, initially disinterested, now plans to work out with Philadelphia by week\u2019s end. That session could revive his standing\u2014but it may be too late.<\/p>\n

The Combine Fallout<\/h3>\n

Bailey\u2019s lukewarm reception at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago only added to the skepticism. Feedback from his interviews, Givony reports, \u201cwas not all that positive,\u201d with teams citing \u201cconcern about his lack of preparation and focus.\u201d<\/p>\n

His interviews and limited availability have triggered alarms in several front offices. As one executive told Givony, the lack of visibility \u201ccreates a wider draft range than initially anticipated.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Historical Pattern<\/h3>\n

Bailey\u2019s camp is not alone in trying to steer his path. Several elite prospects have employed similar strategies. In 2017, Lonzo Ball<\/a> refused to work out for the Celtics<\/a>, aiming instead for the Lakers<\/a> at No. 2. Ben Simmons<\/a> initially refused to meet with the Sixers in 2016, seeking a spot with the Lakers. And Kristaps Porzi\u0146\u0123is\u2019s<\/a> agent famously avoided all contact with Philadelphia in 2015.<\/p>\n

Bailey\u2019s case, however, arrives in a very different NBA landscape\u2014where the line between strategic planning and red flags has grown thinner.<\/p>\n

Still Time to Change the Narrative<\/h3>\n

The Ace Bailey workout situation remains fluid. If his scheduled workout in Philadelphia goes well, he may still climb back into top-three conversations. But if the concerns raised during the combine and his selective visibility persist, he could fall further than expected.<\/p>\n

Bailey’s camp appears to be betting that talent will outweigh doubt. Whether the gamble pays off remains to be seen.<\/p>\n

One thing is certain\u2014Ace Bailey\u2019s workout strategy has reshaped the narrative surrounding his draft night. Whether that narrative ends in disappointment or redemption will be revealed soon enough.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

NEW YORK \u2013 Airious Bailey, one of the 2025 NBA Draft\u2019s most tantalizing prospects, has left scouts and front offices puzzled. The 6-foot-9 forward, also known as Ace Bailey, was once projected to be a near-lock for the top three. Now, Ace Bailey’s reluctance to participate in pre-draft workouts is casting a shadow over that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5018,"featured_media":145193,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,1608,556,3,13],"tags":[49375,49399,49644,3630],"class_list":["post-145191","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba","category-basketball","category-nba-draft","category-news","category-76ers","tag-2025-nba-draft","tag-ace-bailey","tag-vj-edgecombe","tag-voluntary-workouts"],"modified_by":"Frederick Okocha","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/145191","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5018"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=145191"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/145191\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":145197,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/145191\/revisions\/145197"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/145193"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=145191"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=145191"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=145191"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}