Jaden McDaniels is the vision for Ace Bailey but he can't accept it

Ace Bailey has long been considered a top-three pick in the NBA Draft, but he is beginning to slide after refusing to work out with any team before the draft. Reportedly, Bailey is focused on landing with a team that gives him a clear path to stardom. Most recently, Bailey turned down a workout with the Philadelphia 76ers, who hold the third pick. The 76ers offer Bailey a chance to contribute to winning basketball, an opportunity that should excite any young player. However, Bailey is focused on becoming a star.

Undoubtedly, Bailey has plenty of upside, but he has plenty of risk. The best bet for Bailey's career could be buying into a lesser yet highly impactful role with the 76ers. Without having the responsibilities of being a franchise player, Bailey's strengths could be on full display while his weaknesses could be covered up. Bailey has several similarities to Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels. If he could buy into a McDaniels-like role with a team like the Sixers, it could be the best option.

The similarities between Ace and McDaniels

To be clear, Ace undoubtedly has a higher offensive upside than McDaniels. Averaging 17.6 points as a freshman is certainly impressive. This could make Bailey a supercharged version of McDaniels. Nevertheless, there are similarities between the two players offensively. Both players are diffcult shot makers with the ability to create their own shots. However, they both often take bad shots and struggle to make the right reads as playmakers. Additionally, both players struggle as ball handlers. Playing next to Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain would undoubtedly benefit Ace.

As a result, Bailey and McDaniels are best utilized in an off-ball role. Notably, Bailey averaged 2 turnovers to 1.3 assists at Rutgers while McDaniels has averaged 1.5 assists to 1.1 turnovers for his career. Regardless, McDaniels has tons of offensive value as an off-ball threat who can score in bunches. For Bailey, this role gives him the best chance to be a productive NBA player, while forcing him into a star role is highly risky.

Defensively is where the comparison gets interesting. Both Ace and McDaniels have 7-foot wingspans and are similar heights. McDaniels has averaged 2.4 stocks (steals + blocks) for his career, and Bailey averaged 2.3 stocks at Rutgers. Bailey is capable of wreaking havoc off-ball like McDaniels.

However, what separates McDaniels is his elite ability as an on-ball stopper. Bailey wasn't able to stay consistently engaged defensively in college. Regardless, Bailey has all the tools to develop into a similar defender to McDaniels, both on and off the ball; he just needs to buy in.

For now, it appears that Bailey is focused on finding a team that will allow him to blossom into a star. Who knows, he could become a star on a team like Brooklyn or Washington. However, being the lauded franchise player comes with a ton of responsibilities, and it's unclear if Bailey can handle this. Overall, Bailey shouldn't overlook the possibility of becoming an elite complementary player like McDaniels.