NBA Draft Rumors: Expert 100% sold on 6-foot-10 forward as Philadelphia 76ers' ideal choice with third pick

Heading into this year's NBA draft, much discourse has been surrounding Rutgers standout Ace Bailey. While Bailey is a consensus top-five pick in the draft, with many experts predicting him to go No. 3 behind Cooper Flagg and former teammate Dylan Harper, Kevin O'Connor believes he's most likely a bust among the top five players.

The way Draft Express's Jonathan Givony sees things, however, Bailey is primed to be a star.

During a recent episode of "The Kevin O'Connor Show," Givony weighed in on Bailey and the ongoing debate 76ers fans have had regarding whether the team should use the No. 3 pick in the NBA draft on him come Jun. 25.

"I love Ace Bailey, ... I firmly believe Ace Bailey is going to be a star in the NBA," Givony said. "... A guy with that kind of size, and length, and explosiveness and shot-making prowess, he's 18 years old, he doesn't turn 19 until August."

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Throughout the 2024-25 NCAA season with Rutgers, 6-foot-10 Bailey averaged 17.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game while averaging 1.3 blocks and 1.0 steals per game on the defensive end of the floor.

Of course, as Kevin O'Connor and Jonathan Givony discussed, many have criticized him for Rutgers' poor team performance.

Philadelphia 76ers reportedly willing to listen to trade offers for the No. 3 pick in the NBA Draft

While the Philadelphia 76ers managed to snag a top-three pick in the NBA draft despite having worse odds than the Charlotte Hornets, Utah Jazz, and Washington Wizards, the team may not make the No. 3 pick.

Per The Athletic's Sam Vecenie, the team is reviewing offers for the No. 3 pick, given the uncertainty of whether Joel Embiid can return to MVP form.

Vecenie states that if the team does wind up holding onto the No. 3 pick, there's no guarantee that they will draft Bailey. In an article published on Friday, Vecenie wrote that there's a quote, "wider sense of appreciation" for VJ Edgecome.

Edgecome - who averaged 15.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game in 2024 - is viewed as a top-five pick and believed by some analysts and scouts to be more of an NBA-ready plug-and-play type player than Bailey.

With just over a month between now and the NBA draft, only time will tell how things will play out for the Philadelphia 76ers.

About the author

Evan Bell is a journalist specializing in the NBA and NHL at Sportskeeda, whose love for the game stems from a childhood spent watching the Chicago Bulls. He has been there through their highs and lows, from the Jordan era to the exciting Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah years.

Evan finds the 82-game season and the intensity of playoff basketball exhilarating, and he also revels in the offseason drama. Phil Jackson stands out as his favorite coach, whom he admires for his composed leadership and success in managing dynamic personalities like Dennis Rodman.

To deliver top-quality content, Evan fact-checks information while diligently keeping up with the action year-round.

When he's not writing, Evan follows tennis and Greek football, and also plays basketball and tennis.

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Edited by William Paul