If the Brooklyn Nets don’t land the number one pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and get the chance to pick Duke star Cooper Flagg, they may still have an Ace up their sleeve.
In this case, that would be Ace Bailey, the freshman phenom who is suiting up for Rutgers during the 2024-25 season. Although he missed Rutgers’ season opener on Nov. 6, he is widely considered to have as much potential as anyone in the class, Flagg included.
So why are scouts so high on Bailey? By all accounts, it is easy to see the outline of his superstar potential. Bailey is listed between 6’8” and 6' 9”, giving him ideal size for a modern NBA wing, and he has all the requisite skills to go along with it.
Ace Bailey: a rare talent
After an exhibition game against St. John's on Oct. 17, Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino said Bailey was a “great talent.” The freshman forward finished that game with 25 points on 4-of-9 from three-point range. Moreover, he hit a number of self-created threes and tough jumpers that few players have the ability to do, and it became easy to see why he has been compared to everyone from Paul George to Kevin Durant and 2023 lottery pick Brandon Miller.
In his article from Aug. 12, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report, who has Bailey mocked third in the upcoming draft (behind Flagg and Dylan Harper), said, “Bailey's height, one-on-one game, and shooting form one of the NBA most enticing archetypes." With that skill set and highly-touted comparisons, it is easy to see why Bailey is such a sought-after prospect. So what are the knocks against him and how could he fit with the Nets?
Like many young players, Bailey has been known to take some difficult shots and at times can struggle with physicality and efficiency. While he has all the physical tools on defense, his focus can wander and according to Sports Illustrated, he’ll need to sharpen his “processing speed. Such a note is a common area even the most immensely gifted young players need to improve and isn't something that should be overly concerning to the Nets.
The one thing the Nets will desperately need is talent, and fortunately, there is a lot of it in the 2025 NBA Draft.
With Ace Bailey, the Nets would get a player with perhaps the highest ceiling in the NBA, that of a true number-one wing scorer with defensive versatility and the ability to both take over games and seamlessly fit in any configuration. The KD comparison might make some fans queasy, but Bailey has the talent to reach that level and perhaps bring the Nets something Durant never did: an NBA title.