Report: Ace Bailey's Agency Prefers He Play in New York or Atlanta

After a pre-draft process that seems to be leaving NBA teams perplexed, the Brooklyn Nets suddenly have a legitimate chance to land a top prospect who was once considered to be out of their range.

Rutgers wing Ace Bailey was originally expected to meet with the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday before cancelling his trip to Philadelphia earlier in the week. According to 76ers beat reporter Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, a league executive says Bailey’s agency would prefer he play in New York or Atlanta.

“Another league executive said the agency wants Bailey to remain on the East Coast and play somewhere between Atlanta and New York,” Pompey said. "Sources say the Washington Wizards (who will select sixth), New Orleans Pelicans (seventh), and Brooklyn Nets (eighth) are interested in moving up to take him."

While Bailey and his team might be taking an unorthodox approach to end up in their preferred destination, it makes sense that a young potential star would want to land with a team like the Nets. The organization is loaded with future draft assets and salary cap flexibility. It also doesn’t hurt that he wouldn’t have to move far, having attended Rutgers, which is about an hour away.

If Bailey does end up in Brooklyn, the next question becomes how the team plans to manage its assets moving forward. Cameron Johnson is an established veteran at Bailey’s position who is being viewed as a valuable trade piece. Brooklyn has two options: First, they can keep Johnson, last season’s leading scorer, and allow Bailey to develop without the pressure of being a top scoring option right away. Or, if they’re fully sold on Bailey’s upside, they could plug him into the rotation immediately and trade Johnson for help at a position of need.

Last season, Bailey made the Big Ten All-Freshman Team while averaging 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. As a five-star prospect at McEachern High School in Georgia, Bailey was named Mr. Georgia Basketball in 2024 and was the No.2 prospect in the country, according to 247Sports.

In ESPN's most recent NBA mock draft, Bailey is projected to land with the Washington Wizards with the sixth overall pick.