Bailey is still regarded as one of the top prospects in the 2025 class. B/R's Jonathan Wasserman projected him to be the No. 4 overall pick in his most recent mock released on April 15. He is also No. 5 overall on Wasserman's big board behind Flagg, Harper, VJ Edgecombe and Jase Richardson.

Now, just months after signing Paul George and being a potential NBA championship contender, they will likely have one of the first five selections in the draft. Considering that, Derek Parker of Sports Illustrated stated that, of all the potential players they could get with that pick, they had to circle in on Rutgers star forward Ace Bailey.

Rutgers star Ace Bailey shared multiple posts on his Instagram page Thursday with photos of himself with the word “Declared” in big bold letters, and according to an ESPN report, that’s exactly what the freshman guard did, declaring himself for the 2025 NBA Draft.