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Top NBA draft prospect Ace Bailey skipped his workout with the Philadelphia 76ers, and there may be a good reason behind that. Namely, he must not want to play for them.
According to reports, the Sixers and Bailey had already set everything up — the meeting time, hotel, airfare, etc. The cancellation reportedly took the Sixers by surprise, given its last-minute nature.
Such a quick change of heart seems to mean that a prospect is trying to steer himself somewhere else.
For Bailey, that may mean the Charlotte Hornets (No. 4), Utah Jazz (No. 5), Washington Wizards (No. 6) or even New Orleans Pelicans (No. 7). And maybe even the Brooklyn Nets (No. 8) could be in play, according to some reports.
Whatever the case, one Western Conference scout told Hoops Wire that the Sixers and several other teams were stunned. Bailey, a 6-foot-10 forward from Rutgers, had a good chance to go No. 3.
“I think he got some bad advice,” the scout told Hoops Wire. “I mean, this is a job. You get paid handsomely to go to work. Why not go to work for the company that will pay you the most right off the bat?”
None of this is to say Philadelphia will pass on Bailey just because of the workout ordeal. But it sure seems that way.
“This is different than a consensus No. 1 pick saying he doesn’t want to play for a certain team,” the scout said. “It makes no sense to me. I know he certainly has raised some eyebrows within our organization.
“He has a chance to be a terrific NBA player. But he’s leaving himself open to question. As we’ve seen with the Thunder and Pacers, a big part of winning in today’s NBA is done through creating a positive culture, having the right guys in the locker room. I’m not suggesting Ace Bailey will be a problem. I’m not saying he won’t be either, though.”
The 2025 NBA Draft starts Wednesday with the first round, followed by the second round a day later.
More must-reads:
- March Madness won't expand this season, and here's why it never should
- Texas' Arch Manning has concern on OL after season-ending injury
- The 'NBA playoff point-per-game leaders' quiz
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March Madness won't expand this season, and here's why it never should
The NCAA Tournament is staying put at 68 participants, for now. According to a statement from Dan Gavitt, the NCAA's senior vice president of basketball, the annual NCAA Tournament in both men's and women's hoops will not expand in 2026. Gavitt's statement was disclosed via ESPN and other media reports on Monday. He said while expansion is off the table for the upcoming season, conversations will continue "on whether to recommend expanding to 72 or 76 teams in advance of the 2027 championships." Late last month, Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports noted that an expansion of March Madness for the spring of 2026 was unlikely, with NCAA President Charlie Baker citing "logistics" as the reason why. Even though the Big Dance isn't growing in 2026, future expansion is going to occur, because there's too much money at stake in one of the sports world's most popular events. However, adding more participants to the NCAA Tournament isn't going to make it better. It could have the opposite effect, especially if a future expansion results in more sub-par power-conference schools hearing their name called on Selection Sunday. In 2011, the Big Dance grew to its current 68 participants, while also adding in the First Four. How future expansion would work, logistically, remains unclear, although it's likely that more at-large teams from the power leagues would get invited, as opposed to mid-majors. But how much "better" would the NCAA Tournament be if a school from the Atlantic Coast Conference, for example, lands a bid to the Big Dance despite only winning 16 to 18 regular-season games? Sure, that ACC program's fan base would feel elated, it's good marketing for the conferences and it could help with television ratings, but it doesn't make the NCAA Tournament more appealing to the vast majority of fans. If expanding March Madness results in a quality mid-major team that won 25-plus regular-season contests, but lost in its conference tournament, securing a berth to the NCAA Tournament, that would prove more palatable. Still, there hasn't been an uproar from fans about a desire to expand the Big Dance. Teams that were on the bubble had their chances during the regular season to make their cases for inclusion on Selection Sunday. Leave the NCAA Tournament at 68 participants. It's a perfect three weeks of college basketball every spring that doesn't need any fine-tuning.
Justin Fields Called 'Biggest Loser' In Jets Training Camp
The New York Jets opted to cut Aaron Rodgers and sign Justin Fields to replace him during the offseason. This kind of commitment to Fields should bolster his confidence, but it could also place a lot of pressure on his shoulders. To this point, Fields has looked solid in training camp, aside from a scary toe injury that was quickly resolved in July. Justin Fried of the Jet Press recently reported that Fields' training camp may have reached a new low over the weekend as the young signal caller struggled. "Justin Fields put together his best practice of the summer to this point on Friday, completing his first 12 passes en route to an excellent all-around performance. The same can't be said about his showing on Saturday, however," Fried wrote. "Fields finished the day an abysmal 2-of-10 in the air, including a drop from rookie tight end Mason Taylor. "Some of his incompletions were catchable balls, but the Jets' passing game struggles on Saturday can largely be blamed on No. 7. Fields did flash his running ability with a 25-yard rushing score on the first play of red-zone drills, but the Jets would like to see more consistency in the air from the starting quarterback. Saturday's scrimmage was far from his best showing of the summer." Fields is a runner first at the NFL level, but his arm is nothing to scoff at. For most of training camp, his arm talent has been better than advertised, but during Saturday's scrimmage, it just wasn't there. A 2 for 10 performance is unacceptable for a $40 million quarterback who was signed to take over the team. The running game should open up the passing game for the Jets, which is going to need to be the case if Fields is going to struggle like this. However, it's just one day of camp. It's nothing to be too concerned about. Just because Fields lost this specific practice doesn't mean he's heading in the wrong direction as a whole.
Steelers In Town Scouting Elite Top Quarterback Prospect For 2026 NFL Draft
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a lot of excitement heading into the 2025 season with Aaron Rodgers in town, along with many other new faces. The team has Super Bowl expectations, but the fan base is still craving a true franchise quarterback to lead them for years to come. While rookie Will Howard has looked promising in training camp, he is not expected to be the long-term answer at quarterback. After the 2025 season concludes, the Steelers will be hosting the 2026 NFL Draft. Many pundits believe this event will be where the Steelers finally find their franchise quarterback, a player who can bring stability and success to the position. The anticipation is high, and the organization is clearly preparing to make a big move. On Monday, it was reported by Brad Denny, who provides excellent coverage of Arizona State football, that the Steelers have sent scouts to evaluate their prospects. Among those they are watching closely is the top quarterback prospect Sam Leavitt, indicating the team’s serious interest in securing a future star through the draft. In November of 2022, the Sun Devils hired Head Coach Kenny Dillingham, who has quickly transformed the team. What was once considered a struggling program has now become an exciting and competitive squad, with serious potential to contend for a national title heading into the 2025 season. Naturally, Steelers fans immediately think of Leavitt when they hear about scouts visiting, but the Sun Devils’ roster is loaded with NFL talent beyond just their star quarterback. It’s very possible the Steelers’ interest extends to other promising players as well. Chris Karpman gave more details about the amount of NFL scouts at the ASU practice on Monday. "There are 11 NFL scouts representing 10 teams at today’s ASU practice, the most at any practice since Dillingham became head coach," Karpman said on social media. It’s certainly interesting, but not surprising, to hear that the Steelers had scouts in attendance at the ASU practice. Sheldon White, the Steelers’ Director of Pro Scouting, is clearly involved in deciding who the organization will scout, when, and why. It’s no secret that the Steelers are in desperate need of a true franchise quarterback. Many believe the 2026 NFL Draft will be Pittsburgh’s biggest opportunity to find that quarterback since their attempt with Kenny Pickett in 2022. That experiment didn’t go as planned, and now, with 12 expected draft picks in a quarterback class that could be loaded with talent, the Steelers are getting an early look. They’ve begun scouting at ASU, keeping a close eye on potential prospects. Adding to the intrigue is the fact that former Steelers legend Hines Ward is still the wide receivers coach at ASU. His presence adds another layer of connection to the reports of Steelers scouts attending ASU practices, suggesting strong ties and serious interest in the program and its players. Steelers' Will Howard Has Looked Good In Training Camp Early reports out of camp are that sixth-round pick Howard has done a solid job with the opportunities he’s been given. The issue for Howard is that the Steelers are expected to draft a top quarterback prospect. Making such a big investment in a promising player will make it even harder for Howard to steal the starting job. Naturally, when more resources are tied up in a higher-end prospect, the team will do more to get the most out of that player. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible for Howard, but he will need to continue to thrive if he wants any chance to compete for the starting job after Rodgers.
Jordan Love’s surprising anecdote about Aaron Rodgers changes what everyone assumed
When Jordan Love was drafted by the Green Bay Packers, the media immediately made his relationship with Aaron Rodgers a rivalry. In a recent post on the Players’ Tribune, Jordan Love finally addressed the noise. Many were stunned by the Green Bay Packers’ decision to draft Jordan Love in 2020. It was the first round. Aaron Rodgers had just thrown for over 4,000 yards, and there was no indication that he was going to be hanging up his cleats anytime soon. The Packers made a move out of left field, selecting the developmental quarterback out of Utah State with the 26th pick in the first round. Jordan Love was immediately engulfed in a media circus with a legendary quarterback he hadn’t even met yet. The media wanted Rodgers and Love to be rivals, but a recent post from the heir himself denies the claim There are endless rumors in the media about Aaron Rodgers being a bad teammate. Some will claim that where there’s smoke, there’s fire, while others will deny the claim. Many have come to Rodgers’ defense against that claim, with stories of his leadership and support for his teammates. New York Jets defensive end Jermaine Johnson told one of those stories, explaining that the veteran QB helped him fly across the country when he needed surgery on his Achilles. In Green Bay, whispers of Rodgers refusing to support Jordan Love were everywhere. Now, five years into his career in the NFL, and with two years as a starter under his belt, Love took the time to show his appreciation for the veteran. In his post on the Player’s Tribune, Love recalled the night he was drafted. He said the Packers called and explained to him that they would be moving up to the 26th pick in order to select him. He was stunned and before he could take a breath, every question he was asked was about Aaron Rodgers. Love said: “before me and Aaron could even talk, the narrative was rolling. And it’s so crazy to me, because from the jump, Aaron was great with me. He laid out how he was in my same situation, and that he wanted to make sure there was no hostility. I told him I just wanted to learn and soak it all in.” Love had no problem being QB2. He said it was the ideal scenario. He was just 21 years old and coming into the league with a lot to learn. Behind Aaron, he was afforded the time that many rookie quarterbacks are not, often thrust into the starting lineup in Week 1 of their very first season. He had to learn how to handle adversity, the media, and command a locker room. He explained: “I got to watch Aaron and how he handled those situations, and that was invaluable.” Jordan Love barely played for the first three seasons of his career. Today, that’s extremely rare. Patrick Mahomes sat for one season before he started for the Kansas City Chiefs, and even that is considered an anomaly with the way the game moves on these days. Jordan Love, however, spent three years observing: “I also got to watch him spin that thing. There’s nothing like it. When him and Davante were out on that practice field, they wouldn’t miss. Literally. They had some kind of telepathic thing going on. Aaron would snap the ball, and he’d just glance over at Davante’s release, and within a split second, he knew where to put it — doot — back shoulder. Perfect. There was no check, no communication. Just a look.“ The Green Bay Packers quarterback revealed how much he learned from Rodgers. That in the league, the game is so much more than just playing, and that Rodgers was the master of manipulation. He closed the segment by saying that when he finally took over in 2023, his mom said: “Big shoes to fill. You going to be alright? You gotta play good, or they’ll get another quarterback.” So far, Jordan Love has done just fine, and 2025 could be a breakout year for the third-year starter. Jordan Love had front row seats for back-to-back MVPs, and one of the greatest duos in NFL history There are only two quarterback and wide receiver duos that have connected on more touchdowns than Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams. They are Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison, and Steve Young and Jerry Rice. Elite company. Jordan Love got to watch that partnership at practice every day, and then see it come to life on the field on game day. Rodgers may have been supportive of Love as a young quarterback, but he was still determined to show the Packers, and the rest of the league, that he could still play at an elite level. In Love’s rookie season, Rodgers threw 48 touchdown passes and just five interceptions, while earning the league MVP in the process. The following season he won the award again. He was playing the best football of his career, and Love was right there on the sidelines watching every snap. That has to mean something. There has to be value in studying those reps, and then sitting down with the man himself to watch the tape and understand what he saw. Jordan Love is poised for a big year in 2025, and it’s a beautiful touch to pay homage to the mentor he felt so fortunate to have. Barring any unforeseen injuries, the two will face one another for what may be the first and only time in their careers. The Green Bay Packers will play the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road on October 26th, on Sunday Night Football.
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