NBA executive believes Ace Bailey could pass Cooper Flagg as No. 1 pick in 2025 NBA Draft

One NBA executive isn’t sold on Duke University commit and top prospect Cooper Flagg as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft just yet.

In fact, the executive told HoopsHype that he or she could see Ace Bailey, who is set to be a freshman at Rutgers University this season, supplanting Flagg for the No. 1 spot.

“I could see Bailey supplanting Flagg for No. 1,” an NBA executive told HoopsHype. “I think Bailey is more talented with the ball than Flagg at this point, but I think Flagg is a better overall player than Bailey now. Ace is more of a scoring type of player. His overall decision-making and shot selection has to get a lot better. He’s very wired to score. Athletically, I think there’s another level he can get to, but he’s still a very good athlete. Shooting-wise, I think he’s more of a scorer than a natural shooter, which over time will be fine if he’s your No. 2 guy. I thought the same things about Brandon Miller when he was in high school. His legs don’t look great in terms of his strength, but hopefully, he can continue to put more weight on and be more physical. There’s no doubt that he’s very talented.”

Flagg is the No. 1 recruit in his class, according to ESPN, 247Sports and Rivals, and he was named the 2023-24 Gatorade National Player of the Year.

However, three NBA talent evaluators told HoopsHype that Flagg isn’t ready to carry a franchise on his back just yet. Obviously, Flagg could develop during his time at Duke, especially on the offensive end of the floor, to make him an even more intriguing prospect.

As for Bailey, one NBA scout compared him to Philadelphia 76ers superstar Paul George, claiming that the nine-time All-Star is the ceiling for young forward.

“If Bailey hits his ceiling, he can become Paul George,” an NBA scout told HoopsHype. “He’s a versatile combo forward whose strong senior season has many believing his ceiling is the highest in the class. Bailey is offensively advanced, but his defense has a ways to go to rival his offensive instincts. How he and Dylan Harper handle carrying the load at Rutgers next season will speak volumes to what can be expected of him as an NBA prospect.”

The 2025 NBA Draft is very far away, but there are several teams that would love to have Flagg or Bailey on their roster for the 2025-26 season.

The Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards and Detroit Pistons are all rebuilding franchises that would love to get the No. 1 pick in the draft, especially since Detroit, Utah and Portland all ended up with a pick outside of the top four in the 2024 NBA Draft.

For now, Flagg and Bailey will both likely be focused on producing at a high level in their freshman seasons. The last two NBA drafts have featured international players (Victor Wembanyama in 2023 and Zaccharie Risacher in 2024) as the No. 1 overall pick.

It appears that some NBA talent evaluators expect the No. 1 pick to come from the college ranks next offseason given the talent that Bailey and Flagg have already showcased in their young careers.