Dylan Harper & Ace Bailey: The Scarlet Storm Coming for the 2025 NBA Draft

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Rutgers basketball isn’t supposed to do this. They’re not supposed to land two top-five NBA Draft picks in the same class. They’re not supposed to be featured on NBA Today, headlining NBA draft segments like a blueblood. But here they are — Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, two future lottery picks out of New Jersey, rewriting the rules.

Projected to go No. 2 and No. 3 in the 2025 NBA Draft, Harper and Bailey have become one of the most captivating duos in college basketball and arguably the most hyped teammate tandem entering the league since Duke’s Zion and RJ. But unlike that pairing, this one feels built for the modern NBA. A jumbo playmaker with a craft bag deeper than Reddit scouting threads, and a nuclear athlete with a 6’10 frame and upside that smells like All-NBA. The basketball news cycle is starting to catch up to what draft junkies and NBA Twitter’s underground have known for months: this duo is for real.

Let’s break them down — their strengths, their weaknesses, what they could become, and most importantly, which NBA teams can unlock them.

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Dylan Harper: The Next Playmaking Engine, Vitals: 6’5” | 210 lbs | PG/Combo Guard
2025 Draft Projection: No. 2 Overall
NBA Comparison: Lefty Jrue Holiday meets Harden’s footwork

Strengths:

• Elite Pick-and-Roll Manipulator: Harper is a savant in ball screens. He doesn’t just run them, he bends them. He toys with defenders like he’s playing NBA 2K on 85% game speed. His patience, footwork, and ability to reject screens make him one of the most advanced creators in college.
• Craft > Burst: He’s not a blow-by athlete, but Harper uses angles, pace changes, and a deep bag of finishes to get where he wants. The Euro-step, the stride stop, the scoop lay — they’re all tools in his toolbox.
• Feel and Vision: His passing is elite. He throws skip passes with either hand, can deliver live-dribble feeds, and reads low-man help like a vet. It’s NBA podcast fodder waiting to happen.
• Defensive Sturdiness: While not a lockdown guy, Harper has real strength at the point of attack and excellent hands. He’s hard to move and rarely out of position.

Areas for Improvement:

• Shooting Consistency: Harper’s jumper is the swing skill. The footwork is clean and he can shoot off the bounce, but he’s been streaky. Improving from deep — especially off the catch — will open up his entire game.
• Explosiveness in Tight Spaces: Against NBA-level rim protectors, his below-average vertical pop could show. He’ll need to develop a reliable floater and keep his footwork surgical.
• Off-Ball Engagement: He’s so used to having the ball, it’s unclear how effective he’ll be without it. The cutting, spacing, and catch-and-go attacks still need to come along.

Ceiling:

Harper’s best-case outcome looks like a left-handed Jrue Holiday with more playmaking flair. A high-level two-way guard who can be a secondary NBA Finals initiator and top-20 guy on a contender. If the shot comes around? You’re looking at a multi-time NBA All-Star.

Team Fit: New Orleans Pelicans

There’s not a better marriage in the top-5 than Harper and the Pelicans.

• Desperate Need at Point Guard: With CJ aging, Jose Alvarado undersized, and Dyson Daniels not yet a full-time initiator, New Orleans is screaming for a real lead guard. Harper steps in as the connector between Zion and Ingram.
• Surrounded by Talent: With elite finishers like Zion and Trey Murphy, Harper won’t need to score 20 nightly. He can control tempo, make reads, and grow into his shot at his own pace.
• Defensive Infrastructure: With Herb, Dyson, and Larry Nance (if he’s still around), the Pels can protect Harper early on as he adjusts to NBA speed and spacing.

In a lot of NBA betting circles, Harper to New Orleans might not generate flashy odds. But in terms of fit, it’s surgical.

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Ace Bailey: The Prototype Wing with Sky-High Upside

Vitals: 6’10” | 200 lbs | SF/PF
2025 Draft Projection: No. 3 Overall
NBA Comparison: Paul George athleticism with Brandon Ingram’s offensive blueprint

Strengths:

• Fluid Athlete with Elite Size: Ace moves like a guard in a power forward’s frame. At 6’10”, he’s covering ground in 2-3 steps. His vertical pop is eye-popping, which shows up in transition dunks, tip-slams, and chase-down blocks. He’s already built for NBA highlights.
• Shot Creation Flashes: The handle is ahead of schedule for his size. He’s pulling up off 1-2 dribbles, using hang dribbles into step-backs, and showing glimpses of a future 3-level scorer.
• Defensive Tools: His length and mobility scream defensive upside. He can switch 2 through 4, disrupt passing lanes, and his instincts off-ball are improving fast.
• Untapped Passing Feel: Not a primary creator yet, but Bailey is comfortable moving the ball in rhythm. He’s not a black hole — and with his gravity, that’s a big deal.

Areas for Improvement:

• Strength & Physicality: Bailey’s wiry frame needs filling out. He can get knocked off spots, and against bruisers or downhill guards, he still looks 19.
• Consistency & Motor: Like a lot of young wings, the effort wavers. There are games he disappears for stretches. Bringing consistent intensity — especially on defense — will unlock his tools.
• Shot Selection: He hunts tough shots. Which is fine for a No. 3 pick — if they fall. But the NBA standings are littered with top prospects who never quite learned when to simplify their game.

Ceiling:

Ace Bailey has the highest ceiling in the draft not named Cooper Flagg. If it all clicks, we’re talking NBA MVP race noise by year five. He could be a 6’10” wing creator who averages 25, 7, and 5 on great efficiency. That’s NBA 2K MyPlayer numbers — but that’s the mold he fits.

Team Fit: Washington Wizards

This is the home run swing Washington has to take. And it makes too much sense.

• No Pressure to Win Now: Washington is deep in a rebuild. They can give Ace the runway to experiment, fail, and grow. No pressure to deliver NBA wins early — just development reps.
• Space to Cook: With Jordan Poole likely still chucking and Bilal Coulibaly developing as a connector, Bailey can operate as the primary forward with on-ball reps. Perfect sandbox.
• New Identity: The Wizards are trying to build an identity — Bailey gives them a face. He’s got NBA jersey potential in terms of marketability and highlights.

This is a slow build. But if you’re Washington, you don’t need a finished product — you need a future star. Bailey is that.

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Why This Duo Matters

Here’s what makes this story special: Harper and Bailey chose Rutgers. They didn’t team up at Kentucky, Duke, or G League Ignite. They brought the spotlight to Jersey. And they played real minutes, in real games, against real pressure — not just building basketball highlights but building habits.

They complement each other, too.

• Harper’s methodical pace balances Ace’s volatility.
• Ace’s gravity opens up angles for Harper’s playmaking.
• Their chemistry is real — built through reps, not hype.

Scouts love what they see. They project like franchise pillars. And in an era of nba trades and roster churn, having two players who already know how to play together? That’s value.

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Zooming Out

The 2025 NBA Draft won’t just be about Cooper Flagg. It’ll be about the Jersey Boys — Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey. Two top-3 picks from Rutgers, heading into different NBA teams with different timelines but similar star potential.

Harper could stabilize New Orleans and raise their floor. Bailey could explode in Washington and raise their ceiling.

They’re different players, different paths. But they’re chasing the same thing: stardom. And if you’re watching live NBA games in three years, don’t be surprised if both names are in the All-Star Game mix.

This duo didn’t just change Rutgers. They’re about to change the league.