The Utah Jazz are bad enough to land the top pick in the draft, but they may instead have to settle for third. Even so, they could still come away with an elite prospect in Ace Bailey. Bailey, a jumbo wing known for his scoring ability, could serve as a potential building block for them.
Giannis breaking down reads in the post with Ace Bailey 🔥🔥🔥 @Giannis_An34 @AiriousB #NBAFitness pic.twitter.com/ciXVMobGRx
— Swish Cultures (@swishcultures_) March 11, 2025
His size at 6'10 has helped him get his shot off even when closely guarded, and playing the three could allow him to get easy buckets by posting up smaller wings like he's done at times at Rutgers. As he fills out, he should be able to play power forward and even center at times, but paired with Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler, he may not need to do so as much.
Defensively, he has the physical tools to be a good player on that end of the floor, though he does struggle at times when playing off-ball. He can lose track of his man, and while he can make up ground quickly, he doesn't always close out correctly, putting him at a disadvantage.
Playing with an elite rim protector in Kessler would give him a great backline defender, and with Will Hardy being a terrific coach, he should be able to make the necessary tweaks to make Bailey a plus on that end. That could make Bailey's fit with the Jazz a great one.
With Zion Williamson putting up numbers, the New Orleans Pelicans have seen their record improve. That has taken them out of the bottom three that would have given them a share of the highest draft odds for the number one overall pick.
That limits their chances of landing Cooper Flagg, but they could still end up with a great prospect in VJ Edgecombe. Edgecombe is one of the most athletic players in the draft, and while the Pels have good wing depth with Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones, Edgecombe would be a welcome addition.
His explosive athleticism has made him an impressive prospect on both ends of the floor. Offensively, he is a capable shooter, knocking down 36% of his threes thus far. He is also effective at attacking the basket and using his athleticism to explode at the rim.
VJ Edgecombe bounced back from a slow start, showing character in money time, helping Baylor advance past Mississippi State. Turned on the jets to draw a bunch of fouls, knocked down big free throws and came up with some important stops defensively. Baylor plays Duke tomorrow 👀 pic.twitter.com/KJIdUjeWOL
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) March 22, 2025
Defensively, he is terrific at playing the passing lane and forcing turnovers while also providing weakside shot blocking. Having a two-way wing with significant potential on both ends of the floor and being only 19 is tantalizing. While he doesn't necessarily fill a need for the Pelicans, getting a player such as him would be a great outcome for such an awful season and give them another potential building block.