NEW YORK – Airious Bailey, one of the 2025 NBA Draft’s 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.
Draft Workout Curveball: Ace Bailey’s Unseen Moves Stir Speculation
According to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, “Bailey’s predraft workout strategy has perplexed some observers, as he has yet to conduct a single known workout to date.” The lack of activity has prompted several teams to reevaluate his standing. The latest ESPN mock draft now places Bailey with the Washington Wizards at No. 6.
Inside the Ace Bailey Workout Strategy
Ace Bailey’s workout approach—or lack thereof—has been deliberate. Givony reports that Bailey’s representatives “have informed interested teams that they believe he is a top-3 player in the draft.” They also want a “clear pathway to stardom,” and are confident that a team could trade into the third or fourth slot to select him if he slips.
This targeted strategy implies Bailey’s camp views certain destinations—possibly even outside the top five—as more favorable for development and exposure. But this decision to avoid workouts has created uncertainty.
One team source told Givony that Bailey is “polarizing in internal front-office conversations.” Concerns range from “his feel for the game” to a “lack of polish,” which may widen his expected draft range.
Missed Opportunities, Gained Doubt
Bailey’s absence from team meetings and workouts has already cost him. ESPN’s mock draft now places Duke’s Kon Knueppel and Texas’ Tre Johnson above him on its latest board. Meanwhile, freshman standout V.J. Edgecombe recently leapfrogged Bailey in ESPN’s latest projection after impressing the Philadelphia 76ers in a private session.
Givony notes, “Edgecombe takes over this spot from Ace Bailey… where sources say he made a strong impression in a private workout.” Bailey, initially disinterested, now plans to work out with Philadelphia by week’s end. That session could revive his standing—but it may be too late.
The Combine Fallout
Bailey’s lukewarm reception at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago only added to the skepticism. Feedback from his interviews, Givony reports, “was not all that positive,” with teams citing “concern about his lack of preparation and focus.”
His interviews and limited availability have triggered alarms in several front offices. As one executive told Givony, the lack of visibility “creates a wider draft range than initially anticipated.”
A Historical Pattern
Bailey’s camp is not alone in trying to steer his path. Several elite prospects have employed similar strategies. In 2017, Lonzo Ball refused to work out for the Celtics, aiming instead for the Lakers at No. 2. Ben Simmons initially refused to meet with the Sixers in 2016, seeking a spot with the Lakers. And Kristaps Porziņģis’s agent famously avoided all contact with Philadelphia in 2015.
Bailey’s case, however, arrives in a very different NBA landscape—where the line between strategic planning and red flags has grown thinner.
Still Time to Change the Narrative
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.
Bailey’s camp appears to be betting that talent will outweigh doubt. Whether the gamble pays off remains to be seen.
One thing is certain—Ace Bailey’s workout strategy has reshaped the narrative surrounding his draft night. Whether that narrative ends in disappointment or redemption will be revealed soon enough.
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