WATCH: Paul George calls out 76ers draft target in what could end in a hilarious twist

It wasn’t long ago 76ers forward Paul George was hyping up Ace Bailey like he was the second coming of KD. Well, sort of, and I was sipping all of that Kool Aid. Now he’s on his own podcast calling the kid out for his actions during the pre-draft process. And the funniest part? There’s still a chance they end up teammates if the Sixers take Bailey at No. 3 overall.

Let’s break this down, because as someone who’s firmly in the Ace Bailey is Him camp, even I have to admit: this is either one of the worst pre-draft campaigns we’ve seen in a while—or his agent is setting him up to fail.

Bailey, the 6’9″ freak from Rutgers who averaged 17.6 points and 7.2 boards as a freshman, has apparently decided he’s too good to show up to workouts. He canceled a scheduled session day of with the 76ers—which is wild considering they hold the No. 3 pick—and according to Paul George, he hasn’t worked out for any teams.

Here’s what PG had to say on his podcast about the Sixers draft target

PG sounds off on Ace Bailey skipping NBA Draft workouts 😳

"If I'm Ace Bailey, I can't get mad if my stock drops." pic.twitter.com/cgErJWCAgh

— Podcast P with Paul George (@PodcastPShow) June 24, 2025

In case you’re at work and not able to watch/listen to the video, I got you.

PG calls out Ace Bailey

“If I’m Ace Bailey, I can’t get mad if my stock drops,” George said on his “Podcast P” podcast. “He’s canceled all workouts. He hasn’t worked out for any team. I think they made a big deal because (the Sixers) were scheduled to work him out and he canceled the day of, but he hasn’t worked out for any team.

“You’re not in a position to be making those demands. Make it to the league first. I don’t know who’s representing him, but I don’t think they’re going about it the right way.”

He’s not wrong… But it doesn’t change the fact that this could end in the most 76ers way imaginable

It’s honestly refreshing to hear a current player say it how it is, even if it’s a little ironic coming from PG. Paul George is not wrong though—whether it’s Ace getting too full of himself or his agent trying to galaxy-brain his way through the draft process, it’s a bad look.

If Ace Bailey wants to be a first option in the league—which has reportedly been his demand to teams—he needs to act like it. That means showing up. That means grinding. Not ghosting workouts like he’s already made it.

Read More: Ace Bailey gave the dumbest answer possible for ghosting the 76ers >>

Now don’t get it twisted—I’d still rather the 76ers draft Ace over VJ Edgecombe, even if he skipped the damn workout. His ceiling is way higher, and the Sixers need to swing for a star. But if Ace keeps playing this game, he’s going to fall flat on his face before he even gets the chance to rise.

And if Paul George ends up mentoring the guy he just called out on air? Let’s just say that’ll make for must-watch media day in Philly.

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