The 2025 NBA Draft commences later on June 25 to 26 in the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. With many onlookers claiming it as a more stacked draft class than last year’s edition with names such as Cooper Flagg and Ace Bailey slated to be top picks, there will be an influx of players who could be come NBA-ready rookies who can impact the league immediately.
Both Flagg and Bailey are highly touted prospects in their own right who are expected to be selected in the draft. The two one-and-done stars in the recently concluded 2024-25 college basketball season present equally great but very different skillsets from each other. Let’s take a look at who could be more ready to take on the NBA level between Flagg and Bailey.
Cooper Flagg had something to prove at the @NBA combine 💪 pic.twitter.com/ly8DvRg8uJ
— NBA Draft (@NBADraft) June 9, 2025
Flagg vs. Bailey: Who Is More NBA-Ready?
Duke Blue Devils swingman Cooper Flagg had a historic collegiate hoops run with coach Jon Scheyer’s program in the 2024-25 campaign. The Newport, Maine native led the squad in averages of the five major statistical categories with 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.4 steals and blocks apiece per game. Flagg and Co. then went all the way to the Final Four of this year’s NCAA tournament.
For Rutgers Scarlet Knights wing Ace Bailey, he shared the backcourt this season with fellow one-and-done star and projected 2025 NBA lottery pick Dylan Harper. With this, the dynamic duo complemented each other as they eventually led the team in the major statistical categories, with Bailey being ahead with rebounds and blocks averages of 7.2 and 1.3, respectively. He rounded this out with 17.6 points, 1.3 assists, and 1.0 steals a game.
Having all of this said, Flagg has shown great strides in not just all-around skillset, but also with his leadership and maturity with how he spearheaded the Blue Devils this year. This could mean that if Flagg was inserted into a situation wherein he will be one of the NBA team’s focal points, he has a higher chance of thriving in that role more than Bailey.
In contrast, Bailey playing alongside Harper this past season, and both uncorking successful rookie campaigns, may entail that NBA teams will find it easier to plug in the Rutgers product into their system as he has shown that he can specialize into a role with his skillset at a high level. Whatever the team situation is, Flagg is the overall more complete player and is therefore more ready for the NBA right now.
2025 NBA Draft Projections
Per ESPN’s latest mock of the 2025 NBA Draft, Cooper Flagg is expected to be selected with the No. 1 overall pick by the Dallas Mavericks. Coach Jason Kidd’s team acquired the pick through the 2025 draft lottery on May 13 with just a 1.8% chance of getting it. On the other hand, Ace Bailey is now projected to slide down to the sixth pick of the first round for the Washington Wizards after he was originally supposed to go third to the Philadelphia 76ers.
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