2025 Draft prospects - thread 3

[kodo]

There is absolutely no way AK passes on Ace @ 12

That would be insane

The only way would be another Haliburton situation where he refuses workouts. Haliburton was mocked 4-6, didn't go til 12 because he simply refused to workout, share medicals, and refused any sort of contact with teams. Curry was similar.

But eventually they get low enough where a team just picks them regardless.

[Muzbar]

If Ace is there at 12 (he won't be), you've got to take him based on upside alone.

That being said, I wouldn't trade up for him.

It's very odd he hasn't conducted any workouts allegedly though.

[kodo]

Anything Is Possible but indications are it would be a shock if maluach fell below 9, and very surprising if he was even there at 9

here's what jake fischer reported today about there being a perceived "top 8" and everyone else is generally considered to be on a lower tier, which is similar to what other insiders have said:

My conversations with team executives and agents have revealed a top eight that has formed in the eyes of many front offices that appears to be nearing consensus status.

We repeat: The exact order after Flagg and Harper remains TBD, but numerous league executives who specialize in gathering draft intelligence have conveyed that Baylor freshman VJ Edgecombe, Rutgers forward Ace Bailey, Texas scorer Tre Johnson, Oklahoma point guard Jeremiah Fears, Duke freshman Kon Kneuppel and Blue Devils big man Khaman Maluach are the six players commanding the most interest … although Bailey is indeed no longer seen as the top-three lock he once was.

"If it's not those eight [in the top eight], it will be seven of those eight,” said one Eastern Conference executive.

Agreed, but he did just work out for the Hawks who pick 13. So he probably doesn't have a promise in the top 12.
Still I'm assuming he goes ~9 where Givony has him. Guys with his length & size from a good program and his youth always go higher than they should, not lower.

[CROBulls]

People also need to realize that Bulls and AKME last year took Matas and he didnt do single workout for Bulls. Bulls will take him if he is there.

[drosestruts]

Ace Bailey is some weird Rorschach test where people see entirely different things.

This is a guy with

bad efficiency numbers (53.6% TS% and 51.4 eFG%)

Bad free-throw percentage (69%)

Recorded more turnovers than assists

Bad Free throw Rate

Bad BPM

To top off a year of bad play - he's apparently been bad in interviews at the combine and uncooperative with teams wanting to work him out

He's like a walking red flag at this point

You're just salivating over JR Smith

[CobysHairpick]

Soooooo I was on nba draft net and they have Khaman Maluach falling all the way to 13

Might we still have a chance at this guy?!? I thought he was a lock in the 6-10 range

If we can land Maluach, I’m trading Vooch over to GSW for Jonathan Kuminga immediately

C Maluach
F Kuminga
F Buzelis
G White
G Giddey

That’s a big lineup and phenomenal rebuild completion

Billy plays Giddey with two guards. Never as a guard with two forwards.

While Giddey does play in more two guard lineups than two forwards, he has the most minutes by far in two forward lineups post-Lavine.

The starting lineup of Giddey, Coby, Huerter, Matas, and Vuc dominated minutes for Billy and is FIVE times the amount of minutes for Giddey's next most played lineup of Tre Jones, Coby, Giddey, Matas, and Collins.

Replacing Huerter, who is on an expiring deal, may be more important than we know. The Bulls will need to replace his low usage but efficient 3&D role that he provided post Lavine. Leads me to believe that Carter Bryant and Asa Newell (who reportedly shot very well from deep in his Bulls workout per multiple sources) are high on the Bulls boards due to this. Also makes sense why they like Drake Powell.

[CobysHairpick]

Ace Bailey is some weird Rorschach test where people see entirely different things.

This is a guy with

bad efficiency numbers (53.6% TS% and 51.4 eFG%)

Bad free-throw percentage (69%)

Recorded more turnovers than assists

Bad Free throw Rate

Bad BPM

To top off a year of bad play - he's apparently been bad in interviews at the combine and uncooperative with teams wanting to work him out

He's like a walking red flag at this point

You're just salivating over JR Smith

As a big Melo fan, I see shades of Melo. Similar stats too besides the team success. Which is why I'd explore trade up ideas using Coby/Ayo, etc. let alone sprint to the podium if he's there at 12.

[boozapalooza]

Ace Bailey is some weird Rorschach test where people see entirely different things.

This is a guy with

bad efficiency numbers (53.6% TS% and 51.4 eFG%)

Bad free-throw percentage (69%)

Recorded more turnovers than assists

Bad Free throw Rate

Bad BPM

To top off a year of bad play - he's apparently been bad in interviews at the combine and uncooperative with teams wanting to work him out

He's like a walking red flag at this point

You're just salivating over JR Smith

I mean, he was the consensus #2 overall recruit in the country behind Flagg heading into the year, ahead of his teammate Harper. Its not like his pedigree is just based off one season at Rutgers.

He didn’t even have a bad year stats wise but by midseason his team wasnt going anywhere and hes ready to move on. Rutgers program was highly dysfunctional this year.

Look at Ant Man’s stats his one year at Georgia (40% FG, 29% 3PT, 1:1 TO/ast ratio). Georgia went 16-16. One year numbers on a bad college team don’t tell the story at all.

[Muzbar]

Ace Bailey is some weird Rorschach test where people see entirely different things.

This is a guy with

bad efficiency numbers (53.6% TS% and 51.4 eFG%)

Bad free-throw percentage (69%)

Recorded more turnovers than assists

Bad Free throw Rate

Bad BPM

To top off a year of bad play - he's apparently been bad in interviews at the combine and uncooperative with teams wanting to work him out

He's like a walking red flag at this point

You're just salivating over JR Smith

Weren't you wholly unimpressed by Matas Buzelis last draft, saying he was shades of Joe Alexander and Chase Budinger and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist?

I get the red flags, and I've actually soured on him after he measured alot smaller than I thought he would, but the talent is 100% there, if he's there a 12, that's a no brainer, IMO.

[JohnnyKILLroy]

Ace Bailey is some weird Rorschach test where people see entirely different things.

This is a guy with

bad efficiency numbers (53.6% TS% and 51.4 eFG%)

Bad free-throw percentage (69%)

Recorded more turnovers than assists

Bad Free throw Rate

Bad BPM

To top off a year of bad play - he's apparently been bad in interviews at the combine and uncooperative with teams wanting to work him out

He's like a walking red flag at this point

You're just salivating over JR Smith

I mean, he was the consensus #2 overall recruit in the country behind Flagg heading into the year, ahead of his teammate Harper. Its not like his pedigree is just based off one season at Rutgers.

He didn’t even have a bad year stats wise but by midseason his team wasnt going anywhere and hes ready to move on. Rutgers program was highly dysfunctional this year.

Look at Ant Man’s stats his one year at Georgia (40% FG, 29% 3PT, 1:1 TO/ast ratio). Georgia went 16-16. One year numbers on a bad college team don’t tell the story at all.

Ace and Harper both on Rutgers and one of them is clearly the second best prospect in this draft while the other one is sliding down the board. Would be foolish to dismiss what he did at Rutgers because he was highly ranked in HS. He leveled up in competition and completely wet the bed for a whole season.

Post NCAA season he’s continued to do everything wrong and he’s sliding down the board now. If he were great off the court and worked out for everyone and crushed his interviews he’d be climbing the board and going top 3. Million of dollars are at stake and he’s proving to be an idiot on top of everything - This kid is all red flags. Why would you willingly invite cancer into the organism ?

[JohnnyKILLroy]

Ace Bailey is some weird Rorschach test where people see entirely different things.

This is a guy with

bad efficiency numbers (53.6% TS% and 51.4 eFG%)

Bad free-throw percentage (69%)

Recorded more turnovers than assists

Bad Free throw Rate

Bad BPM

To top off a year of bad play - he's apparently been bad in interviews at the combine and uncooperative with teams wanting to work him out

He's like a walking red flag at this point

You're just salivating over JR Smith

As a big Melo fan, I see shades of Melo. Similar stats too besides the team success. Which is why I'd explore trade up ideas using Coby/Ayo, etc. let alone sprint to the podium if he's there at 12.

Shades of Melo ? Did you ever watch Melo play?

[drosestruts]

Ace Bailey is some weird Rorschach test where people see entirely different things.

This is a guy with

bad efficiency numbers (53.6% TS% and 51.4 eFG%)

Bad free-throw percentage (69%)

Recorded more turnovers than assists

Bad Free throw Rate

Bad BPM

To top off a year of bad play - he's apparently been bad in interviews at the combine and uncooperative with teams wanting to work him out

He's like a walking red flag at this point

You're just salivating over JR Smith

Weren't you wholly unimpressed by Matas Buzelis last draft, saying he was shades of Joe Alexander and Chase Budinger and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist?

I get the red flags, and I've actually soured on him after he measured alot smaller than I thought he would, but the talent is 100% there, if he's there a 12, that's a no brainer, IMO.

Yes I was not originally excited about Matas at all and had large fears that his poor stats in the G-League we're a troubling indicator of his potential future success.

I'm imagine there's far more examples of players who played poorly continuing to play poorly as opposed to those who turned things around and reached hteir potential (something Matas will still have to do).

[drosestruts]

Ace Bailey is some weird Rorschach test where people see entirely different things.

This is a guy with

bad efficiency numbers (53.6% TS% and 51.4 eFG%)

Bad free-throw percentage (69%)

Recorded more turnovers than assists

Bad Free throw Rate

Bad BPM

To top off a year of bad play - he's apparently been bad in interviews at the combine and uncooperative with teams wanting to work him out

He's like a walking red flag at this point

You're just salivating over JR Smith

I mean, he was the consensus #2 overall recruit in the country behind Flagg heading into the year, ahead of his teammate Harper. Its not like his pedigree is just based off one season at Rutgers.

He didn’t even have a bad year stats wise but by midseason his team wasnt going anywhere and hes ready to move on. Rutgers program was highly dysfunctional this year.

Look at Ant Man’s stats his one year at Georgia (40% FG, 29% 3PT, 1:1 TO/ast ratio). Georgia went 16-16. One year numbers on a bad college team don’t tell the story at all.

Isaiah Collier was the #1 ranked prospect but a bad year saw him drop to all the way to #29

Emoni Bates went from the #1 ranked player to a 2nd round pick

[CobysHairpick]

Ace Bailey is some weird Rorschach test where people see entirely different things.

This is a guy with

bad efficiency numbers (53.6% TS% and 51.4 eFG%)

Bad free-throw percentage (69%)

Recorded more turnovers than assists

Bad Free throw Rate

Bad BPM

To top off a year of bad play - he's apparently been bad in interviews at the combine and uncooperative with teams wanting to work him out

He's like a walking red flag at this point

You're just salivating over JR Smith

As a big Melo fan, I see shades of Melo. Similar stats too besides the team success. Which is why I'd explore trade up ideas using Coby/Ayo, etc. let alone sprint to the podium if he's there at 12.

Shades of Melo ? Did you ever watch Melo play?

Yes and I think Bailey can play both versions of Melo, the young face up ISO scorer version or the old off ball C&S version, if he's willing to play said role of course.

I do acknowledge that Bailey is much lighter and doesn't score off ISO post ups nearly as much which is why I say shades.

[Dan Z]

New Bleacher Report mock draft.

It has Ace dropping to 6th. Malauch selected at #4.

The Bulls pick Asa Newell at #12.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25206366-2025-nba-mock-draft-updated-predictions-after-desmond-bane-trade

[boozapalooza]

Ace Bailey is some weird Rorschach test where people see entirely different things.

This is a guy with

bad efficiency numbers (53.6% TS% and 51.4 eFG%)

Bad free-throw percentage (69%)

Recorded more turnovers than assists

Bad Free throw Rate

Bad BPM

To top off a year of bad play - he's apparently been bad in interviews at the combine and uncooperative with teams wanting to work him out

He's like a walking red flag at this point

You're just salivating over JR Smith

I mean, he was the consensus #2 overall recruit in the country behind Flagg heading into the year, ahead of his teammate Harper. Its not like his pedigree is just based off one season at Rutgers.

He didn’t even have a bad year stats wise but by midseason his team wasnt going anywhere and hes ready to move on. Rutgers program was highly dysfunctional this year.

Look at Ant Man’s stats his one year at Georgia (40% FG, 29% 3PT, 1:1 TO/ast ratio). Georgia went 16-16. One year numbers on a bad college team don’t tell the story at all.

Isaiah Collier was the #1 ranked prospect but a bad year saw him drop to all the way to #29

Emoni Bates went from the #1 ranked player to a 2nd round pick

Isaiah Collier had a pretty solid rookie year. Averaged 12/7 post all star break. Emoni Bates never produced, even as a freshman at Memphis, hes got his own issues, not a reasonable comp.

[Muzbar]

New Bleacher Report mock draft.

It has Ace dropping to 6th. Malauch selected at #4.

The Bulls pick Asa Newell at #12.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25206366-2025-nba-mock-draft-updated-predictions-after-desmond-bane-trade

I doubt AK passes on Kasparas Jakucionis if available at 12 still, no way he'd pass up the Lithuanian connection.

[boozapalooza]

Ace Bailey is some weird Rorschach test where people see entirely different things.

This is a guy with

bad efficiency numbers (53.6% TS% and 51.4 eFG%)

Bad free-throw percentage (69%)

Recorded more turnovers than assists

Bad Free throw Rate

Bad BPM

To top off a year of bad play - he's apparently been bad in interviews at the combine and uncooperative with teams wanting to work him out

He's like a walking red flag at this point

You're just salivating over JR Smith

I mean, he was the consensus #2 overall recruit in the country behind Flagg heading into the year, ahead of his teammate Harper. Its not like his pedigree is just based off one season at Rutgers.

He didn’t even have a bad year stats wise but by midseason his team wasnt going anywhere and hes ready to move on. Rutgers program was highly dysfunctional this year.

Look at Ant Man’s stats his one year at Georgia (40% FG, 29% 3PT, 1:1 TO/ast ratio). Georgia went 16-16. One year numbers on a bad college team don’t tell the story at all.

Ace and Harper both on Rutgers and one of them is clearly the second best prospect in this draft while the other one is sliding down the board. Would be foolish to dismiss what he did at Rutgers because he was highly ranked in HS. He leveled up in competition and completely wet the bed for a whole season.

Post NCAA season he’s continued to do everything wrong and he’s sliding down the board now. If he were great off the court and worked out for everyone and crushed his interviews he’d be climbing the board and going top 3. Million of dollars are at stake and he’s proving to be an idiot on top of everything - This kid is all red flags. Why would you willingly invite cancer into the organism ?

Ridiculous take. You realize Harper and Bailey’s production was basically the same this year? How did Bailey wet the bed and Harper didn’t?

It would be foolish to dismiss Bailey’s entire life and pedigree because his team wasn’t good in one season at Rutgers. They have zero coaching and little talent around Harper/Bailey, but likely paid him the most in NIL.

In Big 10 conference play, Bailey was the better player of the duo. Three 30+ point games in conference play. Scored double figures in 26/30 games overall. That stuff is special, you dont see that often from a freshman in the Big 10.

Further, Steph Curry refused workouts as a prospect and only worked out for 3 teams. Haliburton only worked out for ONE team (GS). Neither of those guys are “cancers”. It happens. Can you blame him if he wants to avoid going to the dreaded Charlotte, Utah, Wizards 4-6 range? GTFOH. You dont know anything about this kid.

[nomorezorro]

i keep coming back to jase richardson...i'm no longer convinced his height is a notably limiting flaw compared to most of the other prospects projected to go in the 12-25 range

gun to my head, i'd probably be willing to trade coby for a pick where he's still on the board. i would ideally like to get more than just one pick for coby, but i'm sold enough on richardson that i'd just take a straight swap that resets the rookie contract clock if that's the best you can do. (would also consider taking him at 12 if you can get a compelling trade package for coby that doesn't involve 2025 draft comp)

[CobysHairpick]

New Bleacher Report mock draft.

It has Ace dropping to 6th. Malauch selected at #4.

The Bulls pick Asa Newell at #12.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25206366-2025-nba-mock-draft-updated-predictions-after-desmond-bane-trade

Wasserman was at Newell's Bulls workout and said he shot the lights out from 3. I believe he said something to the effect of "banging 3 after 3" during his live stream earlier today. Matches what KC Johnson said he heard about Newell's workout with the Bulls.