The Washington Wizards are in the early stages of a massive rebuild that finally took hold during the 2024-25 season. Washington selected three players in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft, traded Kyle Kuzma ahead of the 2025 deadline, and brought in veterans to help change the culture.
As the Wizards prepare for the 2025 NBA Draft, a recent rumor has revealed how realistic it is to believe that the rebuild could be expedited on June 25.
Washington is currently in line to have the No. 6 overall selection at the 2025 NBA Draft. There hasn't yet been an indication of its desire to move up, but a different type of rumor may have just opened the door for the franchise to land a top-tier prospect they weren't expecting to be able to pick.
According to Jonathan Givony of ESPN, Bailey's representatives are informing teams of their prospect's preferences—leading some to believe that a franchise outside of the top five may have promised to select him.
"Sources say Bailey's camp has informed interested teams that they believe he is a top-3 player in the draft, but also seeks a clear pathway to stardom, perhaps feeling comfortable that a team will trade up to get him at Nos. 3 or 4, should he drop."
Givony continued:
"Some teams question whether Bailey has received assurances of being selected by a team currently outside the top five, to a situation deemed more advantageous from a geographic and playing time perspective."
For what it's worth: Givony provided this information in a mock draft that ultimately saw the Wizards selecting Bailey at No. 6 overall.
Ace Bailey falls to Wizards in rumor-filled ESPN mock draft
Givony's mock draft doesn't guarantee a potential outcome, meaning Bailey could still go in the top five or even fall past the Wizards. The fact that it's even believable that Washington could have a chance to select the Rutgers star, however, is a captivating sign.
Bailey is not only one of the most talented prospects in this class, but represents the opportunity Washington has been looking for to land a new go-to scorer.
The Wizards have a promising core of young and developable players. That includes 19-year-old point guard Bub Carrington, 20-year-old wing Bilal Coulibaly, 20-year-old big man Alex Sarr, 21-year-old forward Kyshawn George, and 23-year-old wing Justin Champagnie.
Every player listed has the potential to become a starting-caliber talent on a postseason-level team, but none have thus far displayed the three-level scoring ability to thrive in the go-to role.
Bailey, meanwhile, is a skilled shot creator who has all of the tools to develop into a star-caliber scoring threat. Standing at 6'7.5" with a 7'0.5" wingspan, he has prototypical size and length fueling his potential as a two-way forward.
Furthermore, Bailey is an instinctive scorer who has already shown flashes of brilliance when attacking the basket, operating from midrange, and spacing the floor.
Ace Bailey can be the go-to scorer the Wizards have needed
Bailey's abilities translated to impressive freshman-year averages of 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.3 blocks, 1.0 steal, and 1.6 three-point field goals made per game. He lacked an ideal level of efficiency, but a slash line of .460/.346/.692 is nothing to scoff at from an 18-year-old player.
That rings louder than ever when watching Bailey play and realizing that he has the capacity for excellence on both ends of the floor.
Bailey can finish with either hand near the basket, shoot and initiate offense from midrange, and knock down threes with impressive range. He also moves well without the ball, finding spaces in the defense that the average player wouldn't think to look for.
Coaching will be essential to refining those skills and abilities, but the raw material is reason enough for the Wizards to seriously consider Bailey if he falls to No. 6.
On the other end of the floor, Bailey's individual defense is noteworthy. The reliability of his rotations can certainly stand to improve, but he has active hands in the passing lanes, makes plays at the rim, and utilizes his length as a disruptive element in isolation.
Washington is already making wise decisions in regard to its long-term outlook, but if Bailey falls to No. 6, its rebuild would take a massive step forward.