The 2025 NBA draft is weeks away and the Philadelphia 76ers likely have some clarity on what they want to do with the No. 3 pick on June 25. The Sixers will have a number of options to turn to ahead of the draft and are no doubt doing their due diligence at this stage of the process.
A popular name for Philadelphia is Rutgers star Ace Bailey. He has a lot of length, skills and intangibles that translate to the NBA level, and has the right attitude at this stage as he continues to grow. If the Sixers were to select him, there would be some work to do, but Bailey is going to be a strong player in the league for quite some time.
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A mock draft performed by CBS Sports has the Sixers selecting Bailey at No. 3:
I wouldn’t be terribly surprised if Philly considers other players here such as VJ Edgecombe, Tre Johnson or Kon Knueppel. But most view the draft dropping off in talent after Bailey — even if his prospect profile is a bit more volatile than others. He’s a big wing and talented shot-maker with tremendous size and athleticism.
Bailey averaged 17.6 points and 7.2 rebounds along with 1.3 assists with the Scarlet Knights. Many people compare him to future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant, but he does not quite have the same offensive game as Durant does. He is certainly smooth, but he doesn’t have the efficiency just yet. What he can do right away is be a defensive stopper. That will be something the Sixers would be looking for him to do as a rookie if he were to be drafted.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: 2025 NBA mock draft: 76ers take Ace Bailey with the No. 3 overall pick