NBA Scout On Ace Bailey’s Decision To Skip Sixers Workout: ‘I Think He Got Some Bad Advice’

Top NBA draft prospect Ace Bailey skipped his workout with the Philadelphia 76ers, and there may be a good reason behind that. Namely, he must not want to play for them.

According to reports, the Sixers and Bailey had already set everything up — the meeting time, hotel, airfare, etc. The cancellation reportedly took the Sixers by surprise, given its last-minute nature.

Such a quick change of heart seems to mean that a prospect is trying to steer himself somewhere else.

For Bailey, that may mean the Charlotte Hornets (No. 4), Utah Jazz (No. 5), Washington Wizards (No. 6) or even New Orleans Pelicans (No. 7). And maybe even the Brooklyn Nets (No. 8) could be in play, according to some reports.

Whatever the case, one Western Conference scout told Hoops Wire that the Sixers and several other teams were stunned. Bailey, a 6-foot-10 forward from Rutgers, had a good chance to go No. 3.

“I think he got some bad advice,” the scout told Hoops Wire. “I mean, this is a job. You get paid handsomely to go to work. Why not go to work for the company that will pay you the most right off the bat?”

None of this is to say Philadelphia will pass on Bailey just because of the workout ordeal. But it sure seems that way.

“This is different than a consensus No. 1 pick saying he doesn’t want to play for a certain team,” the scout said. “It makes no sense to me. I know he certainly has raised some eyebrows within our organization.

“He has a chance to be a terrific NBA player. But he’s leaving himself open to question. As we’ve seen with the Thunder and Pacers, a big part of winning in today’s NBA is done through creating a positive culture, having the right guys in the locker room. I’m not suggesting Ace Bailey will be a problem. I’m not saying he won’t be either, though.”

The 2025 NBA Draft starts Wednesday with the first round, followed by the second round a day later.