Paul George blasts Ace Bailey over 2025 NBA draft drama

Paul George is questioning Ace Bailey’s decision-making.

The 76ers star offered up a warning to the NBA prospect after Bailey reportedly canceled a workout with Philadelphia ahead of Wednesday night’s draft in Brooklyn.

“If I’m Ace Bailey,”  George said on his “Podcast P” released Tuesday, “I can’t get mad if my stock drops.”

Bailey, long believed to be a top-three pick in the 2025 NBA Draft with a combination of size, athleticism, and scoring ability, has seen his stock fall during a curious pre-draft process.

There have been reports of the one-and-done Rutgers guard having bad interviews with teams and cancelling all his pre-draft workouts with a belief that he may be trying to steer himself to specific locales that could offer him a fast track to stardom.

“He’s canceled all workouts,” George said. “Like he hasn’t worked out for any team. So, I think they made a big deal cause we were scheduled to work him out and he canceled the day of. But he hasn’t worked out for any team. But, you’re not in a position to be making those demands. Make it to the league first. It’s for sure the people around him. I don’t know whose representing him, but I don’t think they’re going about it the right way.”

Bailey, 18, defended his process at pre-draft media availability on Tuesday.

“I’m focused on basketball, just being better, myself as a person and on the court,” he said. “How you think is how you think, but I can only control what I can control.”

If Bailey does fall out of the top three, he’ll cost himself some serious cash: the pay scale for the No. 3 pick is approximately $30 million over a three-year contract, around $26 million at four continues to falling with the No. 10 pick getting in the neighborhood of $15.5 million.

It will all make for fascinating TV when the draft kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN/ABC