Strangely enough, with just a few days left for the NBA Draft, Ace Bailey is turning more heads for who he’s not talking to than who’s eyeing him. Despite being a top prospect, Bailey hasn’t met with a single team picking in the top eight. No workouts, no interviews, no real activity outside a short NBA Draft Combine stint. The 6’8″ player has mysteriously disappeared from the top 10, leaving team executives and fans baffled.

Still, Bailey hasn’t fallen off the radar. In fact, he’s holding strong at No. 3 on ESPN’s draft board. But as the noise grows louder, it’s not just about his skills anymore—it’s about the silence. NBA insider Marc Stein added fuel to the uncertainty, writing, “There’s no savvy reason to avoid working out for Philadelphia unless you’re secure and comfortable with the Hornets picking you at No. 4.” Stein also clarified, “There’s no concrete indication of a draft-night arrangement between Bailey and Charlotte.” So if it’s not a lock with Philly and nothing’s promised from Charlotte, what’s Bailey banking on? That’s exactly what NBA veteran Joe Johnson addressed this week.

“I would tell him at least hear some of these teams out,” he said on the Nightcap podcast. “Maybe, maybe, maybe the first few teams that’s picking, maybe he don’t even want to be drafted by them. You know what I mean?” In fact, Johnson believes the kid knows his worth.

“I’ve gotten a chance to see Ace Bailey play in high school and in college. He is going to be an elite pro and maybe he knows and understands that. He probably knows, understands his work.” Backing that up, Bailey averaged 17.6 points and 7.2 rebounds as a freshman—hard to ignore numbers for any GM on the clock.

That said, Johnson didn’t stop there. He pointed fingers toward Bailey’s inner circle. “And I’m not sure what, you know, his, his agent is telling them or what they’re thinking, but, if I’m Philly, man, it’s going to be hard to pass him up.” Interestingly, Joe’s not the only one side-eyeing the agent’s role in this mysterious draft drama.

Gilbert Arenas and Co. addressed Ace Bailey’s situation

So far, it’s not just Ace Bailey’s game that has people talking—it’s the silence coming from his camp that’s even louder. Gilbert Arenas and his Gil’s Arena crew dove into it on their latest episode, and things got spicy real fast. One host didn’t hesitate, saying, “If you pick me, I don’t want to go to your team.” Another added bluntly, “It’s happened so many times.”

But the room went quiet when someone asked the real question. “Who’s Ace Bailey’s representation?” That line right there turned the conversation from curious to concerning.

Then came the strong take from Kenyon Martin, who didn’t mince words about how Bailey’s camp has been handling the process. “If I’m Philly, I’m not picking him third. If one, I don’t need him; If two, I don’t know him. But I don’t know you and I don’t need your talent.” Martin’s point was clear—NBA teams don’t just draft talent; they draft trust. And so far, Bailey’s crew hasn’t been building much of that.

Still, oddly enough, reports say Philly hasn’t completely taken Bailey off the board. But even with that in mind, he’s yet to meet a single team. No workouts. No interviews. So if Philly’s not locked in and Charlotte isn’t either, what’s really happening? Only time will tell.