New NBA mock draft sees Hornets pass on VJ Edgecombe for Rutgers star

The Charlotte Hornets don't have a clear path at fourth overall in the 2025 NBA Draft. Mock drafts vary on who they'll pick, with some saying it'll be Ace Bailey, more saying VJ Edgecombe, and others mentioning Kon Knueppel. The Ringer just had their say on it.

Predictably, Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper went first and second overall. Then, things got a little unique. Instead of Ace Bailey or VJ Edgecombe, both popular choices to be third and fourth in some order, Tre Johnson was next off the board, giving Charlotte the choice between Edgecombe and Bailey.

J. Kyle Mann and Danny Chau think Charlotte should take Bailey in this case. "Bailey’s ability to mesh with LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller is something I’ve gone back and forth on for the past several weeks," Chau said. That's been a point of contention surrounding the fourth pick. Does Bailey fit best beside LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, especially when his pro comp is Miller?

"On the one hand, Ace would rack up a ridiculous amount of easy points off Ball and Miller’s passing if he buys into the idea of moving without the ball. It sounds ridiculously fun," the analyst argued. But on the other hand, the other two spots on the floor would have to be top-tier defenders, as all three of those players are pretty porous at best.

Ultimately, that's a problem for another day. Chau said, "The Hornets are mostly directionless and just need talent, so this is a draft-first, ask-questions-later decision. For a team that really needed to win this lottery, landing Bailey at [number four] would be a coup."

Edgecombe represents the better fit to the roster, as there is no duplication, and he provides wing defending that the Hornets are sorely missing. Bailey may ultimately be the better player, though, as Mann said, "Bailey is among the most talented pure shotmakers to come through college basketball in the past decade."

Bailey's player comparisons are Jaden McDaniels with much better offense, Danny Granger, Michael Porter Jr., and Rudy Gay. The Hornets would be fine with that. For comparison, the comparisons for Edgecombe are Eddie Jones, Kris Dunn, Victor Oladipo, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on steroids, and Derrick White.

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