The 2025 NBA Draft starts at No. 3.
The first two spots are a lock: Duke’s Cooper Flagg is going No. 1 to Dallas (there is zero chance they trade this pick) and Rutgers’ Dylan Harper will be taken No. 2, very likely by San Antonio (the Spurs will listen to trade offers, but unless it’s a Giannis Antetokounmpo-level deal they will hold on to the pick).
In NBC Sports’ latest 2025 NBA Mock Draft, we have Rutgers’ Ace Bailey going No. 3 to Philadelphia and Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe going No. 4 to Charlotte. While that is the most likely outcome, those two picks are far less certain.
Bailey no lock at No. 3
The main reason there is uncertainty about Bailey going No. 3 is that there is uncertainty about who will be drafting third. Thanks to the lucky bounces of the lottery ping-pong balls, the Philadelphia 76ers own that pick and are open to trading down. This is a win-now team run by Daryl Morey, someone who never shies away from a bold move.
While drafting Bailey to pair with younger star Tyrese Maxey and the promising Jared McCain would create a clear future timeline for the team, the 76ers have Joel Embiid and Paul George on the roster now and are committed to winning with them. If a trade is presented that makes Philly a more dangerous threat in what should be a wide-open East next season, Morey will have to strongly consider it.
That team moving up to that third pick may feel differently about Bailey, who is a polarizing player, something ESPN’s Jeremy Woo wrote about in their latest mock draft.
“Bailey has remained polarizing for NBA executives all season, with the wide understanding that he’ll need time to adjust before contributing winning minutes on a good team. There are varying levels of confidence around the NBA as to whether he will reach his ceiling ultimately, creating a layer of risk that has held him back from becoming the consensus option at No. 3.”
The question isn’t Bailey’s potential — he might have the second-highest ceiling of any player in this draft (behind Flagg). Bailey checks all the boxes of a prototypical modern NBA…
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