Ace Bailey shows off bejeweled suit honoring family, Rutgers at 2025 NBA Draft

One of the projected top picks in Wednesday’s 2025 NBA Draft, Ace Bailey is honoring his past at Barclays Center. He showed off a bejeweled suit, which honored both his family and his college program.

Bailey arrived on the red carpet in a black suit with a red button-down shirt and a chain. On the inside of the jacket, pictures of his family – as well as a Rutgers logo – highlighted the design.

It’s a way for Bailey to recognize his path to the NBA as a projected lottery pick. He said that was the inspiration for his look as he waited to hear his name called by commissioner Adam Silver.

The Rutgers duo of Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper on the red carpet at the draft. pic.twitter.com/MLbGJUPyTC

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“I’m big on family,” Bailey said. “Without the ones in the jacket and the ones that are there, I wouldn’t be in this position.”

Bailey put together a huge freshman season at Rutgers, where he played alongside fellow projected lottery pick Dylan Harper. He averaged 17.6 points while leading the Scarlet Knights with 7.1 points and 1.3 blocks per game and heads into Wednesday night as one of the most intriguing prospects on the board, according to On3’s James Fletcher III.

“Ace Bailey has run away with the title of most polarizing prospect in the NBA Draft this season, with a huge gulf in opinions,” Fletcher wrote. “The shot-making ability is undoubted, but questions about his overall efficiency and ability to play within the construct of most professional schemes leave some worried. While there is a tempting upside, there is also a floor which losers the overall value.”

However, Bailey’s journey through the pre-draft process is creating some questions. He didn’t work out for any teams, and there are concerns he could wind up falling down the board a bit.

“(Washington) is what we understand to be one of his preferred destinations. Six, seven or eight – Washington, New Orleans, or Brooklyn. He has declined all invites, invitations from Philadelphia at three, like we’ve said, Charlotte at four, and Utah at five,” ESPN’s Jonathan Givony said Monday. “Today, we started hearing some rumblings that one of those teams at four or five could just decide to take Ace Bailey with their pick regardless, potentially for a trade. Maybe one of those teams at six, seven, or eight decides to make an aggressive move.

“Does Washington decided to move to four, you know, to get ahead of New Orleans or Brooklyn? Both of those teams have the assets to move up if they want. So I could really see Ace Bailey anywhere in that four through six range right now.”