The Philadelphia 76ers will need to make a tough decision with the third overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Currently, Cooper Flag has appeared in the top spot in almost every NBA mock draft, with Dylan Harper being drafted into the second spot.
However, the third spot is tricky. The Philadelphia 76ers were initially expected to pick Ace Bailey, but their draft stock was reduced as the Rutgers star cancelled pre-draft training with the team.
Cancel a single draft training with an NBA organization is one. It’s completely different to show so much arrogance you didn’t attend any team.
Well, Bailey has carried out the latter, and the once-top three predicted prospect draft stocks have continued tanks in the past few weeks.
It’s a shame to see Bailey fall outside the top pick, but 76ers star Paul George believes the former Rutgers guards are not responsible for anything but himself.
“If I ace Bailey, I’m not mad if my stock falls. He’s cancelling all his training so he’s not doing well on any team,” George said in a recent episode of the podcast P.
He added: “You’re not in a position to make those demands. Join the league first. It doesn’t know who the people around him represent him, but I don’t think they’re doing it the right way.”
Even if the 76ers draft Bailey in the third place, the young guard feels they have to deal with hostility from potential teammates.
Baylor Star VJ Edgecombe is another prospect that received huge praise ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft.
Due to Bailey’s current situation, George believes Edgecombe could be a great choice for his organization with the third overall spot.
“I like VJs. He makes him look ridiculously upside down when he plays with the Bahamas. He’s playing against top talent.
But that’s not the case. George went until he claimed that Edge Convey could become a player like NBA’s Jimmy Butler.
“I like his advantages. I think he’s like Jimmy Butler. The dog plays hard, plays both ends and has the toughness about him. He’s certainly the top 10,” George concluded.
Getting a Butler-like outlook would certainly be a blessing for the 76ers. After all, Butler is one of the most dominant two-way players of the present day.