Boogie Cousins tabs Ace Bailey as No. 1 NBA Draft pick over Cooper Flagg

“I like Ace Bailey. To me, Ace Bailey is the No. 1 pick. I think Ace Bailey’s the No. 1 pick,” Cousins said on Run It Back. “I think he’s the closest thing we’ve seen to Tracy McGrady.”

Cousins might be the first person to advocate for Bailey going No. 1. Not that Bailey isn’t a talented player, he is, but Flagg is seen as a Zion Williamson or Victor Wembanyama-type prospect. The kind of player where you don’t ask questions, you submit the pick and immediately reap the benefits.

Ace Bailey projected to go top 3 in 2025 NBA Draft

Flagg was the No. 1 player in the Class of 2024. Bailey was No. 2 and showcased his ability during his lone season with the Scarlet Knights. Bailey appeared in 30 games, posting averages of 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. He shot 46% from the field and 34.6% from behind the arc.

Flagg is still likely to go No. 1. But Bailey should not wait long to hear his name called. Bailey and Rutgers teammate Dylan Harper are the consensus top two players after Flagg.

Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison received a manna from heaven when his team secured the No. 1 overall pick via the NBA Draft Lottery despite having just a 1.8% chance of winning it. But as we’ve seen with Harrison — notably trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers — nothing is off the table. Cousins isn’t convinced Harrison keeps the pick.

“I don’t see Nico — there’s no way he keeps that pick,” Cousins said. “With everything he’s already said on record as far as his window of winning a Championship, it just doesn’t logically make sense.”