Nets may suddenly have shot at Rutgers’ Ace Bailey in 2025 NBA Draft

When the Nets committed to a rebuild a year ago, many fans were hoping they’d land Rutgers star Ace Bailey with one of the draft’s top picks. Those hopes seemed dashed on lottery night when they tumbled all the way down to eighth overall.

The key word is “seemed.” As Bailey has started to slide down draft boards, could he fall to a spot that the Nets could easily trade up to? Or even tumble all the way into their laps at No. 8?

“At some point you’ve just gotta take the most talented dude. Sometimes that hits at [No.] 3, 4, 5; sometimes that hits at 8, 9, 10. It just depends,” ex-76ers scout Michael VandeGarde told The Post on Tuesday. “I mean, I’d be scared to death to take him at 3. I’d be excited to take him at 8, absolutely excited.

“Now, I’d still have the same fears I’d have if he was at 3, but there’s a lot more reasonable decision-making process of taking him at 8. For sure [Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper], VJ Edgecombe, [Jeremiah] Fears, Kon Knueppel, Tre Johnson, you’re talking six dudes that could easily go in front of him, and then somebody in the next 1-5 picks is gonna take Bailey because I don’t think you could turn that down.”