Ace Bailey is gearing up for the 2005 NBA Draft, which has Rutgers teammate Dylan Harper excited to support him.
Bailey is certainly one of the intriguing prospects in this year’s draft, set to take place at Barclays Center on Wednesday night. Harper and his representatives appear to be working to ensure Bailey goes early in the selection.
For the occasion, Bailey donned a dark suit accented with a red pocket square and shirt. His suit jacket was notably customized, featuring the Rutgers logo.
A video shared by the NBA captured some moments between Bailey and Harper. While Harper was projected to go second overall, he seemed impressed during their exchange.
His enthusiasm grew when Bailey revealed the inside of his jacket.
Interestingly, Bailey apparently is not keen on being drafted by the 76ers, Hornets, or Jazz, who hold the third, fourth, and fifth picks. He spoke to reporters on Tuesday before the draft but sidestepped any specific team discussions.
“Playing basketball every day is just a blessing,” he mentioned.
On another note, some critics scrutinized Bailey’s pre-draft approach. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Bailey’s camp is optimistic about landing where they want.
Charania noted, “He either got the crazy way or all the critics are right. And I think there’s enough evidence right now that somewhere in that range between 3 and 8, someone is indicating that they’re drafting Ace Bailey. That may not be where he wants to go.”
On the other hand, Cooper Flag is the anticipated number one pick for the Mavericks, which surprised many during the NBA Draft Lottery, as he was also expected to go second to the Spurs.
Meanwhile, there are rumors about the Nets potentially making a trade to move up in the draft for Bailey.
