Leading up to the 2025 NBA draft lottery, Sixers president Daryl Morey made one thing clear: If the Sixers retained their pick, he planned to use it on the best player available regardless of any potential concerns about positional fit.
In theory, Rutgers forward Ace Bailey might check both boxes for the Sixers. Sam Vecenie of The Athletic said his ceiling is “the second-best player in this class if he improves his areas of need,” although Vecenie was skeptical of him actually doing so. Still, he’s a far cleaner positional fit alongside Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain and Quentin Grimes (if the Sixers re-sign him in restricted free agency as expected) than Baylor swingman VJ Edgecombe and Texas guard Tre Johnson.